The Heiress
by Ms.Mitty
Summary: While her father is being held captive in Afghanistan, the 17-year-old Ana Stark witnesses a different kind of horror back in Malibu, California. A warning from the future. To make the matters worse, the message gets interrupted by a murder in cold blood. (Part 1 of the Secret Sisterhood Trilogy/Full summary inside)
1. Chapter 1

**_"The only survivors are the ones Thanos chose to adopt. I am, unfortunately, one of them."_ She didn't know who this Thanos guy was, but it didn't matter. She was Tony Stark's daughter. She didn't care what an immature, irresponsible, neglectful father everyone thought he was. Ana Maria Stark wasn't up for adoption.**

 **...**

 **While her father is being held captive in Afghanistan, the 17-year-old Ana Stark witnesses a different kind of horror back in Malibu, California. A warning from the future. To make the matters worse, the message gets interrupted by a murder in cold blood.**

 **The first part of the Secret Sisterhood Trilogy, AKA the story of how the heiress to Stark Industries, the princess of Wakanda, and the Goddess of Fidelity are forced to prepare both themselves and their loved ones for the arrival of Thanos.**

 **(Multiple Unreliable POVs. AU-Canon Divergence starts after CA:WS. Also, please note that this is a genfic, which means romance is NOT the main focus. The most significant pairings in this trilogy are Tony/Pepper, and Sigyn/Loki, but mostly they will just be hinted. There will be Agents of SHIELD cameos.)**

* * *

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

—Newton's third law of motion

Some might say being a mid-year graduate sucked. As someone who liked doing things as quietly as possible, Ana begged to differ.

With fewer graduates attending, the commencement in December had been shorter, and less crowded than the one in June was going to be. The thought had made it easier for Ana to give the valedictory speech. Also, Pepper had taken the matter into her own capable hands and written something for her; all she had had to do was to read it out loud, word for word, while wearing a proud smile. But more importantly, her dad hadn't embarrassed her by not showing up.

Graduating _summa cum laude_ from MIT. At the age of 17. It was kind of becoming a family tradition. But such things usually came at a price. Her case was no exception. She had always been the youngest, and therefore, the most vulnerable one around. When she was 12, her dad had shipped her off to a boarding school in New York, and there, she had been the perfect target for the bullies. She hadn't told anyone anything. After three years in New York, she had been admitted to MIT, and only then, she had told Pepper why she didn't have any friends.

At college, people were at least more mature, and most of the time they knew when to mind their own business. But when they approached her, it was always because they wanted something from her. If high school had been hell, MIT had been purgatory. But then, Ana would gladly settle for purgatory. She had learned not to expect much from people. Even from her own father.

But he, Rhodey, Pepper, and Happy had all come to her graduation. After the ceremony, Tony had taken them to the fanciest restaurant in Massachusetts. Ana had expected him to announce his decision to send her abroad for a graduate degree or something. Instead, he had said her research on the quantum physics was quite impressive, and offered unlimited funding to help her make time travel possible.

So, Ana had accepted the offer, and returned home. The boarding school thing had never been discussed since then. It was as if it had never happened. You didn't get to question your dad's decisions if you knew you had been dumped on his expensive doorstep when you were a baby, and he had been kind enough to take you in. Well, it wasn't like he constantly reminded her of the fact that she had never been wanted. In fact, he never had. Not intentionally, at least. Another reason not to be an ungrateful brat…

" _You are not authorized to access this area."_

The warning could faintly be heard from said area, which happened to be Ana's room. She sighed. It must have been another nosy bimbo, poking around the mansion. There had been no shortage of them since she had returned.

She could see the time on the glass panels. It was 07.05 AM now. Ana had woken up three hours ago, and had been contemplating about whether she should initiate a somewhat sentimental conversation with her dad before he left for Afghanistan since then. Well, his jet had actually been scheduled to leave about an hour ago, but as usual, he was apparently in no hurry.

 _Poor Rhodey_ , she thought as she dragged herself out of the bed.

Thankfully, she had a private bathroom, and a kitchen—as well as a breathtaking view of the Pacific Ocean—so that she could complete her morning routine without having to deal with any of the stupid "guests."

She was sipping her coffee and waiting for the eggs to boil when JARVIS said, "Miss Stark, your father is preparing to leave the house."

"Where's he?"

"In the master bedroom."

Ana decided to see him. Not that he would miss her terribly if she didn't, but it was still a part of the "not being an ungrateful brat" thing.

His door was open, and she found him choosing a tie. He wasn't wearing a suit, but he was probably going to change into one later, for the demonstration.

"Good morning."

"Morning, kid. Here to say goodbye?"

She nodded, and then asked, "When will you be back?"

"Why? Is your boyfriend coming over?"

"I don't have a boyfriend," she said, and it was true. But the question confused her. He had never asked her something like that before. Was he just messing with her, or did he really want to know?

Well, she had dated a couple of guys at MIT… But just like the so-called friends, they had thought being around the heiress to Stark Industries would make them rich, or at least famous. It had been okay, though. She hadn't let any of them use her. Actually, in a way, she was the one who had used them. She hadn't wanted to graduate from college a virgin. That had had to be fixed.

 _Don't give people another reason to laugh at you._

It was never about what she "gave" them, she had figured that out a long time ago. Still, old habits died hard. And she was definitely not going to tell her dad when, or why she had lost her virginity. Sex was overrated anyway. She had more important things to worry about.

"No? Or, is it a girlfriend?" he casually asked this time.

Okay, so, he did want to know…

"Why the sudden interest?" she asked, trying to keep her voice equally casual.

He shrugged. "Nothing. It's just… You don't talk much these days."

"Well, that's because I don't have much to tell. If you must know, I'll just be busy trying to figure out how to stabilize a hypothetical portal in the very fabric of the fourth dimension, and failing spectacularly at that."

Finally he picked a tie, and put it in the garment bag hanging on the wardrobe. It was the one she had given him for last Christmas. _Coincidence_ , she told herself. He probably didn't even remember that it was a gift from her.

"I'll take a look at that simulation when I get back, okay? Just hang on for two days."

Of course, he was dying to be a part of this. What kind of genius wouldn't be interested in time-travel? Was it why he had suddenly decided to be so… decent?

"No."

He looked at her, puzzled. "Why not?"

"I don't want you to waste your time with this. My professors at MIT actually said the theory was too far-fetched to even bother."

"Yeah, that's what they always say… Just ignore them, kid."

"Are you sure? Maybe I should heed their advice. I mean, professors earn their titles for a reason."

"And they're all broke for a reason."

Ana wondered what his definition of "broke" was.

"Look, Dad, you taught me everything I know, but I need to see if I can do this on my own. You have to let me prove myself."

"Boss?" Happy interrupted them. "Hey, Ana."

She smiled at him, grateful for the interruption. "Hi!"

"Yeah, you go ahead, Happy, I'm coming down in a sec." Apparently, he wasn't going to be easily interrupted this morning. Which was unusual for someone who had the attention span of a goldfish.

Happy took the garment bag on the wardrobe and the suitcase on the bed. "Anything else, sir?"

"No… But hey, how about a race?"

Happy grinned. "You're on!"

After Happy left, there was a moment of awkward silence in the room. Ana wondered if he expected a hug or something, but it was better to play it safe.

"Dad," she simply said instead. If she didn't say this now, she was going to regret it. "Be careful over there."

He just gave a brief nod in response before heading out of the room, but she could see that her concern had made him happy. This had been a really weird goodbye.

Ana returned to her kitchen, and decided to check her e-mails while having breakfast. She sometimes received e-mails from other scientists who wanted to discuss her theory. Such an ambitious work wouldn't go unnoticed. But this morning, there was only one e-mail, a job offer from Momentum Labs. Last summer, she had had an internship there, as Dr. Lucy Bauer's assistant. It was something she had done to prove the world that she could get out of her comfort zone and work for other people if she needed to. But Ana had once overheard Dr. Bauer and her husband talking about some magic book that could show a person what they wanted to know the most, which, of course, went against every law of physics. It hadn't been easy to work for someone whose sanity she doubted after that. Or maybe, it was just some sort of scam. Either way, she wasn't going back there. Technically, she was working for Stark Industries anyway… from home. If her project succeeded, it was going to be used by Stark Industries.

After the breakfast, she went to see Pepper and give her her birthday gift. Pepper was in the living room, working, but she put her laptop aside when she saw Ana.

"Morning, birthday girl!"

"Hey, Ana… I didn't know you were up."

"Yeah, I wanted to see Dad before he left." She handed her the small box wrapped in silver paper. "Happy birthday!"

"Ana, you didn't have to…"

"Go ahead, open it."

She opened it, and smiled when she saw her new smartwatch. It was much more elegant, and feminine than the other smartwatch models out there.

"It's just a prototype, but totally functional, and in sync with the Stark Industries Central Database, so it should serve you well," she explained.

"Wait, you made this by yourself?"

"I had to work with a jewelry designer, but yeah, the tech is all mine."

"Wow… This is so thoughtful, thank you."

Yep, she was impressed. "Dad didn't even remember, did he?"

"No, but he asked me if I had any plans today."

"Do you?" she asked, but she wasn't sure if she was ready to know the details. Pepper was just too gorgeous to remain single forever. One day, someone was going to steal her from the Starks.

"Well, I need to run some errands, but I can't go home early anyway."

"Why?"

"I think my friends are throwing me a 'surprise' birthday party at my place tonight. Would you like to tag along?"

And couldn't help but sigh in relief. "No, but you're welcome to hide here if you wish."

She laughed. "I don't think it will be _that_ bad. Perks of not having too many friends, eh? Seriously, though, if you don't want to be alone…"

"No, it's fine. I'll be busy anyway."

"Building a time machine?"

"It's more like a portal, actually, but call it whatever you want."

"You know you have _unlimited_ funding, right? You can afford to assemble a team."

"I'm more efficient when I work alone."

Her dad always said hardware was more reliable than humans, and he was right. Hardware didn't judge you, bully you, take advantage of you, or creep you out. Hardware just did its job.

"How long have you been studying this theory?"

Ana thought for a moment. "Two years, I guess… Why?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing. _Why_? Of all things you can focus on, why time-travel?"

It was easy to see where this conversation was going. But she was prepared. "It's because someone has to start from somewhere. And I want to be that someone."

"So, this has nothing to do with your mother?"

"No."

"You're a good daughter, Ana. Wanting some answers won't change that."

"Okay, maybe it has something to do with my mother," she finally admitted. "If I could go back to the day Dad found me—"

"Tony tried to find her," she said suddenly. "More than once."

"I'm sure he did…"

"It's not what you think it is. He wasn't trying to get rid of you. As a matter of fact, it was the opposite. He was going to tell her to _legally_ give up her parental rights. I think the possibility of a custody battle scared him."

She looked at Pepper, taken aback. She had had no idea. But given his reputation, that was a battle he _might_ actually lose. After all, he only had an army of lawyers, not wizards. Deep down, the thought unsettled her, but she reminded herself that there was nothing to fear. For seventeen years, no one had come for her. That was unlikely to change after this point.

"And?"

"Nothing… He couldn't find her."

Well, at least he had tried. It was nice to know. "Wait… Did _he_ ask you to question me?"

"Believe it or not, he does care about you."

"Okay, that explains why he was so weird this morning."

"Weird how? What did he do?"

"Never mind," she said evasively. "I'll be in the shop."

She went down the stairs, punched in the passcode, and crossed to the holotable. "JARVIS, give me last night's test results."

JARVIS obeyed. Last night's test results were, as expected, a fiasco. So, even iridium wouldn't work as a stabilizer… She had to find something else.

…

" _Miss, incoming call from Colonel Rhodes."_

"What?" Ana grunted, rubbing her eyes in the dark. Indeed, she could hear her phone buzzing somewhere nearby. "JARVIS, what time is it?"

"It is 03.17 AM," JARVIS replied, turning the lights on.

She reached over the nightstand to grab the phone. "Rhodey?"

"Hey, sweetie… Sorry I woke you up. But there's something, and, uhm… I wanted you to hear it from me."

"What's going on?" she asked, still half-asleep.

She heard him let out a sigh before replying. "On the way back to the base, our convoy was ambushed. And Tony… They've captured him, Ana."

Ana shot up in the bed.

This was exactly what she had feared, why she had wanted to tell her dad something nice before he had left. Now her fears had come true, but her mind was refusing to process it. Human brain did bizarre things like this to protect itself.

"Ana? Talk to me!"

She had to gulp twice before asking the next question. "Is he…"

"No, I think they wanted him alive."

She wasn't sure if this was supposed to make her feel better. Why? Why had they wanted him alive? To torture him to death? To film his torture, then post it on the Internet, and make an example of him? She was too scared to ask these to Rhodey, though.

"What now?" she simply asked instead.

"Now, I won't rest until we find him." His voice was full of determination.

"Okay," she whispered.

"Look, I've already called Pepper. She must be on her way to the mansion by now, you won't be alone."

"Thanks."

"I got to go now, but I'll call you again as soon as I can."

"Be careful over there," she said, but shivered when she remembered that it was the last thing she had told her dad.

"I will. Stay strong, sweetie," he said, and hung up.

JARVIS was quiet. So was Ana. But she didn't think she could go back to sleep. She stumbled out of the bed, and started walking around the mansion, as if she had been hypnotized, until she found herself in the workshop, looking at the two framed family pictures on his desk. Tony Stark as a kid, with his father, and Tony Stark as a father himself, with a ten-year-old Ana.

Unlike some might think, he hadn't always been a terrible dad. They used to have a lot of fun here in the workshop when she was a kid. He would teach her how to build an engine, code a program, or use the holotable. Yes, in the meantime, he was still the egocentric playboy to the rest of the world. Yes, he loved drinking, partying, and gambling. But he also equally loved spoiling his little girl. At least until sending her off to New York and ruining everything.

Was it him who had ruined everything, though? Perhaps Ana should have just properly asked him why he had done what he had done, instead of giving him the cold shoulder. Perhaps he wasn't being _weird_ that morning, he was just being a father again. And what had she done? She had scolded him. For trying to help her.

…

Ana was grateful to Pepper and Happy for the emotional support, but she eventually asked them to leave. They deserved a break. And they deserved to look for a new job if they secretly felt like they would soon need it. Right, after all this time, they were like family. But Ana understood that business was business. No one had to trust a teenager with their career.

Rhodey sometimes called her, to let her know that they were "doing everything they could," but Ana knew he only called to see if she was okay. Obadiah called once, too, and after a few cold words of consolation, he told her that the board of directors wished to know when exactly she was to turn eighteen, and what she was planning to do if the worst came to pass. If she had the guts, she would have told him and the board to go to hell. Business was business, yes, but Ana still expected a certain level of decency, like waiting for at least a few weeks before starting to ask such questions. But Stane actually frightened her a bit, so she meekly admitted that she wasn't sure about what to do. Indeed, she had never thought about what was expected of her if something happened to her dad. But right now, that was the least of her concerns.

More days passed, and nothing happened. Ana was finally ready to admit that she desperately needed some greasy comfort food, so she ordered a huge pizza. She didn't actually remember when was the last time she had eaten pizza. In boarding school, she had seen how cruel kids could be to the girls who were either too chubby, or too skinny, and learned to be careful about her own appearance.

 _Don't give them another reason to laugh at you._

It all seemed so silly now.

She had always prided herself on not taking anything for granted. Apparently, she had taken _everything_ for granted.

She ate the whole pizza by herself as she watched another debate about Tony Stark's fate on TV. The so-called experts didn't sound very optimistic.

 _He's not dead, you idiots_ , she wanted to scream. _If he were, we'd know about it by now._

Terrorism was all about evoking fear in people. Showing that even a genius billionaire wasn't immune to the threat was the perfect way to prove their point. If they hadn't killed him by now, they must have wanted him for something else.

She was getting tired, and there was now a sick feeling in her stomach, so she didn't bother to go to her room upstairs. The couch in the shop was comfortable enough. Damn, she shouldn't have eaten the pizza that fast. But she would be fine in the morning. At least her stomach would.

If only she could sleep…

"JARVIS, will you play some music?"

Without a word, JARVIS started to play her favorite bedtime playlist. Ana closed her eyes and hoped that would help.

About half an hour later, the music suddenly stopped. She wasn't asleep yet, but she was getting there.

"JARVIS!" she scolded the UI, "I didn't tell you to stop."

There was no response.

"JARVIS?" she asked again.

Silence.

She got on her feet and went to turn on the lights manually. It took some time to find her way around in the dark, but she finally found the switch.

The lights weren't working either. But the power came back on before she could find a flashlight.

"JARVIS? What the hell just happened?"

"I am not certain, miss."

It must have been a glitch. "Okay, whatever… I just want to sleep."

"Miss, I am detecting the presence of a wormhole in the front yard."

"What?" she cried. He was talking like as if wormholes were something one could always find in a front yard. Like a mailbox, or plastic pink flamingos. "An Einstein-Rosen bridge?"

She wasn't an astrophysicist, but anyone who was interested in wormholes would know that the Einstein-Rosen bridge was the most common type. And by "the most common," she actually meant "the least rare."

"The characteristics do not match with anything in any known database."

"Was it the source of the outage?"

"You might want to see this, Miss Stark."

Ana turned to the desk and looked at the monitors. JARVIS was showing her the main entrance.

There was someone else just outside the front door. She was… she was someone who looked just like Ana. She was examining the door with her hands, her head tilted to one side, as if she had never seen a door before. She then straightened up and looked directly at the hidden security cam.

"What the hell? JARVIS, is this an LMD?"

"Based on the heat signature and other vitals, I would say she is a human being. Do you want me to turn on the outdoor lights?"

"No. Whoever she is, I don't want her to know the power is back on. Not yet. Are you recording this?"

"Do you want me to?"

"Yes!" Her instincts told her that it was the smart thing to do. Not that she had absolute faith in her instincts, but they were all she had right now.

"It feels so strange to be here," the other Ana murmured. "After everything I've been through. But terrible sacrifices have been made, just to make sure I get to deliver this message. And we don't have much time."

"Ana. I know you're there. I know you're watching me. I'm you. I've come from the future to warn you. Thanos has the Infinity Stones. All of them. He's unstoppable now, and there's nothing any of us can do. The Earth's been destroyed; the only survivors are the ones Thanos chose to adopt. I am, unfortunately, one of them. Forget about your dreams of time-traveling. Because if you don't, you'll be stuck in a time loop, just like I did. What you have to do is to finish what Howard Stark started. You have to build the Nexus. Only then, we might be able to destroy Thanos for good. Loki, he despises him as much as any—"

She paused, and turned around, as if she had felt something behind her. Two gunshots were heard. The time-traveler fell down to her knees, and placed a hand on her chest, where she had been shot.

"New York," she said in her dying breath. "You must be in New York."

She was now lying on the ground, in a puddle of her own blood. Two men in black masks came into frame.

"She was talking to someone," one of them told the other.

"There's no one else here, man. Crazy bitch was talking to herself. Come on!"

"What was she doing out here?"

"Who cares? It's done. Let's just take her to the boss."

They carried the body away, then came back and cleaned the blood up.

The Ana in the workshop was shaking so badly that it was a miracle she hadn't passed out yet. Yet somehow, she had been able to put a hand on her mouth in order not to scream.

With each passing second, the silence was becoming more and more unbearable, but it took two hours before she could speak again.

"JARVIS?"

"Miss Stark?"

"Is it safe to go upstairs?"

"I assure you that the mansion is perfectly safe right now."

Someone had tried to kill her. And she was only alive thanks to a time-traveler. Were the killers from the future as well? Their brief conversation indicated that they most likely weren't.

Dum-E brought her a glass of water.

"Oh, thanks, Dum-E…" she mumbled and drank the water before heading out.

"JARVIS," she spoke warily as she climbed the stairs, still feeling a bit dizzy. There was something comforting about the UI's voice. "I'm freaking out… Help me."

"Perhaps some music can help?"

Well, what was the harm? "Okay…"

"What would you like to listen?"

"Surprise me."

But when the music started, she sighed and shook her head. _Smooth Criminal_. Like, seriously? Still, despite the shock, JARVIS' dark humor had made her smile.

"Thanks for ruining my favorite song, JARVIS."

She walked around the house to find something, anything that could prove that what had just happened wasn't some crazy nightmare, but there was nothing.

She had witnessed her own death. How was she supposed to live with that? And that wasn't even the worst part.

" _The only survivors are the ones Thanos chose to adopt. I am, unfortunately, one of them."_ She didn't know who this Thanos guy was, but it didn't matter. She was Tony Stark's daughter. She didn't care what an immature, irresponsible, neglectful father everyone thought he was. Ana Maria Stark wasn't up for adoption.

So, she returned to the shop and rewatched the footage, twice. It was a horrible thing to watch, but she had to make sure she didn't miss anything. The Nexus, Infinity Stones, Loki… What did these even mean? And New York? Why did she have to be in New York? She hated that city.

"The last name she said… Loki. It sounds familiar. Wasn't he some sort of evil god or something?"

"Loki is the god of deception and mischief in Norse mythology," JARVIS enlightened her. "There are also several Scandinavian variants of the name, such as Lokki, Lokkemand, Luku—"

"Yes, JARVIS, thank you… Maybe it's just a nickname. What about the Nexus? She said I had to build the Nexus."

"Perhaps she was talking about the NEXUS Internet Hub in Oslo, Norway?"

That was what she had thought as well. Also, it was quite possible that there was a Norwegian computer scientist, working at the NEXUS hub and using a Norse god's name as his alias. But there was one major problem with that theory. "Did Grandpa Stark have anything to do with that hub?"

"I haven't been able to identify any correlation between the NEXUS Internet Hub and Mr. Howard Stark."

She turned the holotable on. "Damn, it has to be something Howard Stark started. See if you can find anything about Thanos, or the Infinity Stones. In the meantime, show me the energy readings of the wormhole. I'd like to analyze them myself."

JARVIS showed her all the data he had been able to collect.

Although it was impossible to tell what had been on the other side of it, the numbers were too precise for the portal to be an anomaly. She had never seen anything like this. There could only be one explanation.

"The future me knew where, and when exactly she was supposed to be. She'd come here to warn me and then die… And by doing that, she broke the time loop and created another parallel universe, which happens to be our reality."

Or, had she? The irony was that only time could tell. But it sounded so brave, so selfless… Would Ana become that person one day? Did she even want to?

Right now, she had more pressing concerns, though. If she wanted to save the world, first, she needed to stay alive. "Someone wants me dead, JARVIS."

"An excellent observation, Miss Stark. May I ask what your plan is?"

"Whoever they are, they think I'm dead now. I must keep it that way. I can't trust anybody."

"You can always trust Ms. Potts or Mr. Hogan."

"I'd never doubt those two, JARVIS. But I don't want to put them in danger."

"Mr. Stane?"

Yes, Stane was an old family friend, and he could definitely pull some shady strings to find out who was behind this, but…

"After all that bullshit about the company and board of directors? Thanks, I'd rather die."

"What of Colonel Rhodes?"

"He's busy looking for my dad. He shouldn't be distracted. Open a new folder, index as The Nexus. Let's keep it offline for the time being." She quickly dragged the footage, and the data on the wormhole into the new folder.

"You have never worked on a secret project before…"

"Yeah, even my dad won't know about it." _If he ever comes home…_

"Miss Stark, my protocols don't allow me to keep secrets from—"

"Don't worry, JARVIS. Even you won't remember what happened tonight once I'm done with you."

…

It was always easy to be a smartass while alone in the safety of the shop. But once she was done in there, Ana started trembling again. She had to leave home. She had to disappear. At least until her dad was found, alive or dead.

She couldn't take her phone, her backpack, or one of the cars. She could only use cash. She just had to walk, until she found a place where she could lay low. She didn't exactly know what she was doing. But it was better than doing nothing.


	2. Chapter 2

In that cave, Tony had dreamt of a lot of things. Cheeseburger. Shutting down the weapons manufacturing division. His bed. Scotch. JARVIS. Pepper. And, of course, Ana.

Rhodey had told him on their way back to the US. Ana had wanted some time alone after Tony had been taken captive, and then one day, it was as if she had disappeared into thin air. She hadn't taken a car. She had left her things in the mansion. There was no sign of forced entry. The cops had found nothing.

"Welcome home, sir," JARVIS greeted him.

"Thank you kindly, JARVIS."

"It has been a long time. Based on news reports, I calculated your safe return as 0.25 percent."

"Yeah, I missed you, too," he muttered idly, wondering when JARVIS was going to tell him what he really wanted to know. He spotted the gift Obadiah had left for him on the coffee table, a BVLGARI watch. It wasn't too bad, but he already had like a dozen of them, so he wasn't really impressed either.

"You have 1730 new voice messages. How shall I categorize for you?"

He walked over to the glass panels to check them out. "Are any of them from Ana?"

Yes, she had left her phone at home, but she might still have been able to leave him a message if she was in trouble. She was a smart kid.

"No," JARVIS simply said.

"Any e-mails?"

"From your daughter? No, sir."

"Delete all."

He wondered if she had seen the press conference. If she had run away from home, from him, maybe she would come back once she realized he was now a changed man.

"I'm detecting the presence of electromagnetic energy in the house."

Okay, he had run out of patience. Pepper, Happy, Rhodey, and Obadiah had kept Ana's strange disappearance a secret for now—people rarely remembered that he had a daughter anyway, there was nothing appealing for the paparazzi in her quiet life—but JARVIS was supposed to know something, anything. "Where the hell is my daughter, JARVIS?"

JARVIS remained silent.

"JARVIS? Do you know where Ana is?"

"No."

Tony frowned. Such short replies from him were unusual. "Has someone been messing with you?"

"No."

"Yeah, we'll see about that."

The Arc Reactor upgrade and Mark II would have to wait. He went down to the shop, got rid of the stupid sling, and started going through JARVIS' security logs manually. He found nothing, except for a power outage that had lasted for 139 seconds on the same night Ana had disappeared. Someone had definitely altered the security logs. And that someone had been very clever.

Tony worked on it at least for two hours, but failed to recover the missing data. Maybe Ana was just doing this to punish him. To teach her old man a lesson. If that was the case, her timing to play the rebellious teenager couldn't be worse.

A part of him actually enjoyed getting outsmarted by his own daughter, but another part knew that it was just wishful thinking. Ana didn't play silly games like this. So, he decided not to give up easily and kept working on the deleted logs, until he received a call from an unfamiliar number.

"Yeah?" he asked casually, but secretly hoping it wasn't some kidnapper demanding ransom, or worse, the Ten Rings. He had never thought what he had done in that cave could put Ana in danger, but now…

"Dad?"

"Ana! Are you okay?"

"Yeah, Dad, I'm fine. Were you sleeping?"

"No, I was up." Did Ana really think he could just sleep like a baby while she was MIA? What kind of an asshole did she think he was?

"I wasn't sure… I saw you on TV, you seemed a bit… disoriented. But I thought I should call you."

"Well, of course you should call me. What happened? Where the hell are you?" His voice had come out a bit harsher than he had intended. In fact, he had sounded just like his own father used to, especially while talking to Tony. He hated it.

JARVIS had already started tracing the call. It appeared she was still somewhere in California.

"I—I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I didn't mean to scare anyone. But I had no choice."

"It's okay, kid," this time he said more softly. "We can talk about that later. Just tell me where you are. I'll come pick you up."

"Can't you just send Happy in the morning? Get some rest, Dad. I told you, I'm fine."

"No way. This can't wait until the morning."

"Okay, I'll give you the address, then."

"Never mind, JARVIS has just located you."

"Uhm, Dad…"

"Yeah?"

"Can you bring some cash? I don't have any money left."

"Sure. I'll be there in an hour," he said and hung up, wondering what on earth she had got herself into.

…

It was nearly eleven in the evening, and Tony Stark had found himself in a motel in the less pleasant part of the city. He wouldn't be surprised if someone tried to steal the R8 he had parked in front of the building. The man behind the reception desk had told him which room Ana was in, but Tony didn't think men usually came here to find their daughters.

The door was answered after the first knock. He thought Ana was going to hug him, but then, she hesitated, as if she was waiting for permission.

He winked. "Missed me?"

Only then, she flung her arms around his neck, and Tony held her even tighter. His right arm protested a little, but he didn't care.

"Of course I missed you."

In Afghanistan, Yinsen had opened his eyes. Not just about the weapons. Seeing a father who had lost his kids had made Tony realize what a bliss fatherhood actually was, and how much he had taken for granted. Ana was the only thing he needed to be the happiest man in the world.

"I missed you, too, kid," he said.

She released him, and stepped aside to let him come in.

He entered, and closed the door behind him. She was even smaller than he remembered. He wasn't sure if anyone else had noticed it, but she actually had her grandmother's looks. Right now, her hair looked like a mess, though, and there were dark circles under her eyes. Tony wasn't used to seeing her like this. Or maybe, she just seemed more vulnerable to him after everything he had been through.

"What's that thing glowing on your chest?" He had almost forgotten that he looked different, too.

"Tell you what, you explain the shady motel, I'll explain the glowing chest."

"I know it doesn't look very safe, but people here don't ask many questions, so…"

"So?" he urged her to continue.

"Please don't freak out," she begged him.

"I can't make any promises."

"Dad, please…"

"Fine," he gave in. "I won't freak out. You're still your mature, responsible, boring, wonderful self. It can't be _that_ bad."

"Somebody tried to kill me."

"WHAT?"

"Hey, no freaking out, okay? You promised."

"Who?" he asked, this time more calmly. But that wasn't very easy. _She is safe now_ , he reminded himself. _She is with me_.

"I don't know. I was at home. There were two men in black masks, I didn't see their faces. They disabled the security, and they had guns. I think they were planning to kill me in my sleep. Only, I wasn't sleeping. I was in the shop, so I used the garage exit to escape, and ran as fast as I could."

"Damn it, kid… Why didn't you tell anyone? Pepper, or Happy… Why didn't you go to the police?"

"I didn't want to put anyone in danger. Whoever they were, they were capable of breaking into _your_ house, Dad. I wasn't sure if the police could stop them. I found this motel, and… I mean, no one would look for the heir to Stark Industries in a place like this."

He went to open the only window in the room. The smell of dust and mold was unbearable. "For the record, I'm not sure if this is incredibly brave, or stupid."

She shrugged. "Neither am I."

"Still, it's more like stupid."

"I'm sorry. I'll never do something like this again."

She didn't even have to say that. Tony knew she wouldn't. But it was so disturbing to see that she was more concerned about his reaction than her own safety. Did he scare her? He didn't want to scare her. He was her father; she was supposed to feel safe around him. Not scared. Okay, daddy instincts were funny. He decided to change the subject and did his best not to look murderous.

"Now, about this…" He tapped his fingers on the Arc Reactor. "After the demonstration, our convoy was attacked. A bomb exploded right beside me. When I woke up, I was in a cave, and I had an electromagnet in my chest to keep the shrapnel going into my heart. I needed something better than a car battery to power the electromagnet."

"Wait, is this an Arc Reactor?"

"A miniaturized Arc Reactor, yes."

"And did the terrorists just… let you make it?"

"Well, they wanted me to make them a Jericho missile, so they needed me alive."

"And I suppose they were also too dumb to realize this has way more potential than a Jericho missile?" she asked thoughtfully.

 _Yeah, wait until you see the suit._ "Here, take a look."

He loosened a few buttons to let her see.

Ana winced. "Does it hurt?"

"Not at all."

"I don't believe you."

He decided to spare her the details of the operation. Ana was a sensitive kid, and she already looked like she was about to throw up.

"What?" he asked cheerfully. "I think it looks pretty."

That earned him a reluctant smile.

"Come on, kid, let's go home."

They went down to the reception and he paid for Ana's stay. Damn, she had been staying here for nearly three months. It couldn't be a coincidence. This surely had something to do with the Ten Rings.

He was furious. Well, "furious" would be the understatement of the year. Someone had tried to kill his kid. His sweet, innocent, precious kid. What if she had been asleep that night? What if she had been in her room, and not in the garage? What if… He didn't even want to think about it. He was going to find those bastards. Now he had even a better reason to build that suit.

The car was still where he had left it, miraculously unscratched.

At first, they were both quiet. Tony was driving, and Ana was in the passenger seat, fidgeting with the sleeves of her sweatshirt.

It was her who broke the silence. "Are you really done making weapons?"

"I am."

"Some people won't like it."

"What about you?"

"I like it."

"Good."

"Okay, but what are you going to do now? Retire?"

"Nope. I have some ideas… Speaking of, have you been able to stabilize that hypothetical portal of yours?"

He laughed when he recalled how Pepper feared that Ana might have found a way to go back in time to rescue him and accidentally erased herself from history. It hadn't been easy to convince her that time-travel wouldn't work like that. This wasn't _Back to the Future_.

He had missed Pepper, too. It was nice to know that she actually cared about him, as a person. The handsome paycheck wasn't the only reason she still put up with him after all these years. He had seen that in her red, puffy eyes. He wasn't sure why she had missed him, but he was glad that she had.

"Well, you can forget about that."

"Hey, I wasn't laughing at you!" Great, now he had offended Ana…

"I know. I just… scrapped that project."

"Why?"

She thought for a moment before speaking. "If I went back to a specific point in time and altered something… Would I create a parallel universe? Or just get myself stuck in a loop?"

"So, the predestination paradox? That's your concern?"

"I don't like the idea of inevitability."

"Well, 'inevitability,' in this context, depends on so many different variables. Sometimes, you just have to—"

"Dad, I've made up my mind. Please just let it go."

He wasn't sure why, but there was something unnerving about the way she had said that. "Look, if it's going to give you nightmares, just take a break. In the meantime, I can use an extra pair of hands for _my_ projects."

"What kind of projects?"

"The Arc Reactor technology. You were right. It does have potential. And I want you to be a part of it."

She didn't reply.

"Say something."

"I was just thinking…"

"About what?"

"The miniaturized Arc Reactor, it has the same components with the original one in the factory, right?"

"Yep."

"Doesn't it have a palladium core?"

 _Well, that didn't take long._ "So?" he asked, trying to sound as nonchalant as he could.

"So, you have palladium in your body. It might kill you."

"Not if we find a replacement. There's time."

"Hopefully."

"Don't tell anyone. Not even Pepper. _Especially_ Pepper."

"Okay."

Tony smiled. This was the longest conversation they had had in a long time.

…

At 07.00 PM, Pepper arrived, but she didn't come down to the shop with a to-do list of the day, like she usually did. She probably had a different kind of list today, the list of people who needed to be convinced that Tony Stark hadn't gone insane. He expected her to be busy after that press conference. He was just glad that she wasn't here to pester him about it.

Three hours later, he changed his mind.

He pressed the intercom button. "Pepper, uhm, how big are your hands?"

"What?"

"How big are your hands?

"I don't understand, why…"

"Get down here, I need you."

And of course, Pepper came down.

"Let's see them, show me your hands."

She raised her hands.

"Oh, wow. They're small. Very petite, indeed. I just need your help for a sec."

Pepper gasped. "Oh my God, is that the thing that's keeping you alive?"

"It was. It's now an antique. This is now what will be keeping me alive for the foreseeable future," he explained, showing her the new Arc Reactor. "I was swapping it up for an upgrade unit. I just ran into a speed bump."

"Speed bump? What does that mean?"

"It's nothing, it's just a little snag. There's just an exposed wire… under this device… and it's kind of…"

Maybe he should have called Ana instead, but she was probably still asleep, and he didn't want to wake her up just for this.

Whatever. He was just going to let Pepper see it. "It's contacting the socket wall and causing a bit of a short."

He pulled out the old Arc Reactor, and gave it to Pepper.

She was looking at it as if it was a bomb. "What do you want me to do with it?"

"Just put that over there, that is irrelevant."

"I just want you to reach in, and you're just going to gently lift the wire out."

"Is it safe?"

"Yeah, it should be fine, it's like Operation, you just don't let it touch the socket walls, or it goes 'beep.'"

"What do you mean, Operation?"

"It's just a game, never mind."

Good. She hadn't passed out, or run out of the shop screaming, which meant that she could do this.

She freaked out a bit, but in the end, it was done.

"Don't ever, ever, ever… ask me to do anything like that ever again!"

Tony just couldn't stop laughing. Yeah, maybe he was being cruel. But Pepper's face was just… adorable. Besides, once in a while, everyone needed a healthy dose of adrenaline in their lives. Even Ms. Virginia "Pepper" Potts.

"Morning," Ana's voice interrupted them.

"Ana! When did you return?" Pepper cried.

"Last night," she replied, like it was no big deal.

"Well, where were you? Do you have any idea how scared we were, and…" She paused, apparently at a loss for words. "Why didn't you tell anyone anything?"

Ana looked at him. They had forgotten to discuss this last night. Should Pepper know that someone had tried to kill Ana?

"Just a typical teenage rebellion," he said quickly. "Nothing to worry about."

"Teenage rebellion?" Pepper asked, eyes darting between the two Starks.

Tony nodded idly as he put on his t-shirt. Yeah, that was a terrible lie. Ana was hardly the rebellious type. He wasn't sure if he liked it, or hated it.

Thankfully, Pepper decided to ask a completely irrelevant question instead and showed him the old reactor. "What do you want me to do with this?"

"Destroy it. Incinerate it."

"You don't want to keep it?" For some reason, she sounded disappointed.

"Pepper, I've been called many things, 'nostalgic'' is not one of them."

"Will that be all, Mr. Stark?"

"That'll be all, Ms. Potts."

"She didn't buy it," Ana whispered after Pepper left.

"No, she didn't," he agreed.

He actually liked to see how concerned Pepper was about his daughter. There were times he wished Pepper were her mom—okay, that was a totally inappropriate and unprofessional wish—instead. But she definitely cared more about Ana than Ana's own mother, whoever she was.

He recalled the day he had found Ana. January 25, 1992. A baby who couldn't be older than two months, dumped on his doorstep. No IDs, no notes, nothing… A quick paternity test had proven that she was his kid. Obadiah had said he was too young for this, and he should just give her to a foster family. Rhodes had disagreed. He had said this was a sign. A second chance to have a family. But Tony didn't believe in fate, or divine signs, so Rhodey's wasn't such a strong argument. It was Edwin Jarvis who had persuaded him in the end. _"If you give up on her, one day you will regret it, Mr. Stark. I know you will."_

"Well, I'm going to start looking for a palladium replacement, if you don't mind?" she asked, bringing him back to the present moment. "JARVIS, give me the schematics of the Arc Reactor, will you?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa… What's the hurry?"

"The _hurry_? You're dying, Dad!"

"Keep your voice down." He looked around to make sure Pepper hadn't come back. "And don't be so paranoid. I'm in no immediate danger. My body can tolerate such a small amount of palladium poisoning. We're doing this just to be safe. Let's take our time."

"You're dying," Ana repeated in a whisper this time.

He crossed his arms. "You know, I'm actually a bit disappointed in you."

"Have I done something wrong? I just want to help you." He could hear the panic in her voice. Damn, why did this girl had to be so insecure? Sometimes, it was annoying. What did she think, that he would kick her out of the house if she ever made a mistake?

"Yeah, you have. You've never asked me how I escaped."

"I thought it was Rhodey…"

"Rhodey found me in the desert _after_ I escaped," he boasted.

"How?"

"Now that's more like it!" He turned to the holotable. "JARVIS, show her Mark I."

Her face was priceless. Now that was the kind of enthusiasm he wanted to see. But deep down, he hoped that she was still afraid of heights, and wouldn't want a suit for herself. Acrophobia didn't stop her from traveling when she had to, but Tony knew she didn't like flying much.

But the initial excitement didn't last long. "Was this your idea, or one of your dad's old designs?"

"No, this is just mine…" Suddenly, she seemed disappointed. "Why? You don't like it?"

"No, it's awesome. As an idea. I just… I don't know. You won't make weapons anymore, but instead you're going to make soldiers. What's the difference?"

"I'm not making soldiers."

"Who's going to wear these suits, then?"

He shrugged. "I am."

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

"I can't talk you out of it, can I?" she then asked thoughtfully.

"Even if you could, would you?"

"What do you mean?"

"I finally know what I'm supposed to do with my life, Ana. Do you really want me to go back to wasting it?"

"I just don't want you to get yourself killed because of this whole redemption thing. I thought you didn't have anything to prove to anyone. What _really_ happened to you over there?"

"I was forced to answer for my father's mistakes, that's what happened. Now I have to make sure _you_ won't have to answer for mine some day. I have to build a new legacy."

"You don't have to worry about me, Dad. But thanks. And if this is what you need… Okay."

"So, are we cool?"

"Yeah, of course. But don't ask me to focus on anything else until we figure out the palladium problem. You build your suit, I won't bother you. If you need my help with anything, just let me know. Until then, I'll just sit in a corner, and run some simulation tests, okay?"

"Okay. And, one more thing…"

" _Don't tell Pepper_. Yeah, I got it."

It wasn't exactly what he had hoped for, but it wasn't such a bad arrangement either. Maybe she would show more enthusiasm once they replaced the palladium core with a non-toxic alternative.

He decided to take Obie's advice and lay low for a while. He spent most of his time in the mansion with Ana. Not because this was what Obie wanted, but because it was a good opportunity to start fulfilling the promises he had made. He was going to stop wasting his life, build his suit, and become a better father. He didn't know if he had been too late for the last one. Because he couldn't exactly be a realist when it came to his daughter. Every time he looked at her, he still saw the happy little girl following him around like a puppy, or dancing barefoot on his holotable in a fluffy dress. He used to be her hero back then. She wouldn't care what he did, or what other people said about him. But he had broken her trust by shipping her off to New York, and never been able to muster up the courage to properly apologize afterward.

The next few months were quiet, peaceful, and not boring at all.

Ana was often in the shop with him, trying to find a replacement for the palladium. She still seemed to like his music, and she understood most of the references he made. After a while, she even grew used to the minor accidents in the shop. She stopped freaking out every time something went wrong during the flight tests. Instead, she would simply fetch him band-aids and an ice pack, then return to her work station without a comment.

Sometimes, after a long day of work, they would watch a movie, or play video games together. Other times, he would teach her the basics of self-defense. Rhodey, or Happy joined them on occasion. He could see that it wasn't her favorite activity, but it was something he should have done years ago. After all, Tony was a businessman, and businessmen had enemies. Their lives would only get more dangerous once he revealed the suit to the world.

He also ordered a backgammon set. It was a game Yinsen had taught him. Tony showed Ana how to play, and told her about his friend from Gulmira. Sometimes they played backgammon to honor Yinsen's memory. They had found some common ground other than science. But when he wanted to take her to the benefit for the Firefighter's Family Fund, she looked at him as if he had asked her to jump into a volcano. Yeah, parties had to be an introvert's worst nightmare… Not that he would ever get why. He still loved parties.

Besides, if he hadn't crashed his own party, he wouldn't have discovered it was Obadiah who had been undermining him this whole time.

…

"She should've been back by now," Ana murmured, pacing up and down in the living room.

"Can you please come here and sit down? You're making me nervous, too."

She stopped pacing, but didn't sit down. "You should've sent me instead."

"No, that would be too suspicious. Pepper works there. You don't."

"What if Stane has taken extra measures to protect his files? She can't improvise if the hard-drive doesn't work."

"She'll be fine. She's smart."

She hesitated for a second, and then finally came to sit down next to him. "Dad… I think there's something else I should tell you."

"Okay. Tell me."

"After you were kidnapped, Stane called me, asked me what I was planning to do if you died. I told him that I wasn't sure. And I meant it. I didn't even care about the company. I just wanted you to come home. Anyway, a few days later, someone tried to kill me. Maybe my answer wasn't good enough for Stane."

Tony couldn't dismiss the possibility right away. Not after everything he had seen.

"Alright, Nancy Drew, this is getting—" His phone started to ring. "It's Pepper!"

The moment he answered the call, he heard a buzzing sound, and his body locked up. The phone was slipping from his hand, but someone behind him caught it, and ended the call. He was paralyzed. The Sonic Taser. Shit.

"Breathe. Easy, easy…" It was Obadiah. He gently placed Tony's head on the back of the couch, then went to pick up Ana. She had made an attempt to get up and run, but she had been too late. Stane placed her on the couch as well.

He laughed when Tony made an angry, whimpering sound. "Don't worry, I'm not going to kill your daughter. Not now, at least. I want our dear Ana to teach me her little secret first. You see, I'm pretty sure I saw the body with my own eyes. Two bullets to the heart. Nothing survives that. But, well… Here she is."

Obadiah had taken him to a morgue once, after the accident. He had barely been able to recognize his dad. His mom's neck had been broken. They both had the same horrified look on their faces. He knew he had been—and apparently, he still was—very close to seeing his daughter's cold, dead body on a metal table as well, but Obadiah was talking like as if he had already seen her like that. Tony had no idea how it could be possible, but that was a question for another day.

He left her, and disappeared for a moment. Tony wasn't able to turn his head to follow him, but Obadiah soon returned with a device that must have been designed to rip the Arc Reactor out of his chest, and forced Tony to look at him.

"When I ordered the hit on you, I worried that I was killing the golden goose. But you see, it was just fate you survived that. You had one last golden egg to give. Do you really think, just because you have an idea, it belongs to you? Your father, he helped give us the atomic bomb, now what kind of world would it be today if he was as selfish as you?"

His blood was boiling with every word Obadiah said. That son of a bitch was dead. He had died the moment he had decided to hurt Ana. He just didn't know it yet.

"Too bad you had to involve Pepper in this. I would've preferred that she lived," he said, scooping Ana into his arms, and left.

At that moment, the pain in his chest became irrelevant. There was only rage. And fear. He could live with this pain for the rest of his life, if that was what it took to keep Ana and Pepper safe, but right now, all he could do was to go into a cardiac arrest and die here, not knowing what would happen to them.

 _No_. He forced himself to think. He had invented the Sonic Taser. He wasn't going to let Obadiah use his mind against him, or the girls. _Breathe_. Obadiah had told him to breathe… Idiot. Oxygen could speed up the muscle recovery process. He had to try. So, he started inhaling as deeply as possible.

Five minutes later, he was able to drag himself to the elevator, and then, into the shop.

There it was, on the table. The original Arc Rector Pepper had refused to destroy… He didn't think he had been more grateful to anyone for anything in his life.

 _Proof That Tony Stark Has A Heart_


	3. Chapter 3

" _I am Iron Man."_

Their lives were never going to be same after these words. But then, Ana's life had already taken an entirely different turn with the visit of her future self. Sometimes she still had nightmares about that night.

Her dad had returned home as a different man. Not only as a superhero, but as a better father. Ana hated lying to him, especially while he was trying so hard to do right by her. But his volatile nature had remained more or less the same. She didn't think he could handle the fact that he had already failed to protect his daughter, even if it was in a different reality. Ana had tried to calculate every possible outcome of every possible reaction. Eventually, they had become impossible to calculate. There were just too many variables. And one would think it would be easy for an expert in physics.

 _Damn the butterfly effect_ , she thought as she scanned the crowd at the Stark Expo opening ceremony. Tony Stark was making quite an entrance as usual. No one would guess the device that was keeping him alive was also slowly poisoning him. But then, that was probably the whole point. He refused to look weak.

Ana wasn't even watching him, though. She was hoping to find this Loki guy in the crowd and get some answers. Was she even in the right place, at the right time? How could she know? But she couldn't have refused the opportunity to be in New York, so she had come to the Expo with her dad. Normally, she would have come up with an excuse to stay here permanently, but until they found a solution for the palladium problem, leaving him was out of the question. She wished he had just stayed home and got some rest. If he weren't so stubborn, she could take much better care of him.

When the video of Howard Stark started to play, she shivered. _"Everything is achievable through technology…"_

She had to finish something her grandfather had started, that much was clear. Could the future Ana be talking about the Arc Reactor? It was something Howard Stark had started, and now there were the Iron Man suits, powered by the Reactor. But it was hard to tell when she didn't know what exactly they were up against.

And because of Stane, sooner or later, she would have to explain the "two bullets to the heart" thing. The son of a bitch just couldn't keep his big mouth shut. Her dad hadn't directly asked her yet, but he was seeking answers, she could tell.

"Ana." Pepper touched her shoulder. The show was, apparently, over. "They're waiting for us."

"Right," she mumbled. "Sorry."

"Is everything okay?" Pepper asked as they walked to the car waiting behind the main building.

"Yeah, of course. Why?"

"I know you don't like New York much. Boarding school, the bullies…"

She shrugged. "I've come to the conclusion that it wasn't the city's fault."

"Fair enough."

"Hey, where have you been?" her dad complained when he saw them. He was on the wheel, which meant that he was impatient to test out his newest car."Come on, we're flying to DC tonight!"

"DC?" Pepper and Ana asked together, taken aback. They were supposed to return home.

"For a Senate hearing, apparently," Happy explained and handed Pepper an envelope, though neither of them needed to read it to guess what it was about.

Pepper nodded. "Well, this was expected… Ana, we're going to have to take the jet, but I can book a flight to—"

"No need for that, Pepper. I'm coming with you guys."

"Ana, the press will be there."

"I know. But I can't hide from the world forever," she said, giving her dad a meaningful look at the same time. _"Just play along, or I'll tell Pepper everything."_

Ana was no doctor, but she was the only one who knew about his condition. If something bad happened, she needed to be there with him.

"Yeah," he agreed quickly. "She's a big girl now, she can handle it… See you at the airport!" he said, and took off before Ana could even tell him to wait.

Frustrated, Ana headed to her own car, trying to avoid the meaningful look Pepper was now giving her. _"Who are you, and what did you do to Ana?"_

Pepper was right to be suspicious. First, Ana had volunteered to go to her least favorite place in the world for the Expo, and now she was coming to this hearing with them, which would help the paparazzi remember that she still existed.

Hers was a silver Lamborghini Aventador, a gift from her dad for her eighteenth birthday. Well, not that anyone knew when exactly she had been born, or where… Still, he had had to give her something ridiculously extravagant. This car was wasted on someone with such slow reflexes. But again, he had already "borrowed" it for a few rides. Maybe the birthday was just an excuse.

"What's going on, Ana?" Pepper finally asked as Ana hit the gas. "Something is wrong with both you and Tony, I can tell."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You're a terrible liar."

 _Oh, Pepper. If only you knew…_

…

The government hadn't been as much of a trouble as she had feared, and the next day, they were back in Malibu, where Ana could finally keep working on a new core for the Arc Reactor. She hadn't been doing anything else for the past year, but she hadn't made much progress so far. The truth was, she and JARVIS had tried every combination of every known element. But she couldn't give up just yet. This was a matter of life and death. Literally. It appeared her dad's body couldn't keep tolerating the palladium poisoning for much longer. To make the matters worse, he had been acting different since the opening night. It was as if he had returned to his old ways.

Thinking of a solution was even more difficult while he and Pepper were bickering about his modern art collection. Unlike her dad and Pepper, she had never been able to learn how to appreciate art, so she decided to stay out of it.

"Ana, come over here for a sec," he said.

Ana obeyed, wondering what he wanted this time. "Yeah?"

"I'm making you the CEO of Stark Industries."

"What?" she cried, then turned to Pepper. "Did you know about this?"

But Pepper seemed as appalled as her. "No…"

He put her hands on Ana's shoulders. "Ana, you're ready to—"

"Dad, stop!" She couldn't believe she had just yelled and shoved him away, but it had happened on the spur of the moment.

Both he and Pepper looked at her, taken aback.

Ana took a deep breath to calm herself down a bit. "Pepper, can I have a word with my dad, please?"

"Sure, I'll be upstairs."

She waited until Pepper was out of earshot, then asked, "What are you doing?"

"Why are you so angry?"

Wow. He truly didn't get it, did he? "I'm too young to be the CEO!"

"Not at all. You're old enough to run a company."

"I'm not talking about the law, Dad. I'm barely an adult, I have no experience in running a business, all I have is your name, and that won't be enough for people to respect me! Can't you wait until I'm at least a bit older?"

"Honey, you were born older."

"Yeah, I know. You never stop reminding me how tedious I am. Sorry I can't keep you entertained."

"You worked for other people before. Why is it so hard for you now to work for me?"

"Other people? You mean, the internship at Momentum Labs? I didn't know it bothered you so much."

"All I'm saying is, one day the company will be yours anyway. Why delay the inevitable?"

"Oh, so that's what this is about… You're dying, so you want me to take over."

"Yes!"

"You see, this is exactly where it went wrong last time!"

"What last time? What do you mean?"

"The boarding school, Dad!" she finally snapped. She didn't know what was happening to her, but her emotions were all over the place. "Do you even know what it was like for me? You sent me away, and never thought twice about it!"

"This is different."

"No, it's not. If something… something happens to you, I don't want to remember you as the man who threw me to the wolves every time he got scared!"

He didn't reply. And he didn't have to; his face said it all.

"That's exactly how you want me to remember you…"

"I want to make it easier for you."

"By being your most reckless, selfish, irresponsible version? Do you think death is a joke? You know what, I—I don't even know why I'm trying so hard to save your life. We were supposed to be family, but you were never there when I needed you. I'm done. You're on your own now."

He seemed hurt. Good.

She stormed out of the garage, ignored Pepper on her way to her room, and locked the door. Ana and her dad simply ignored each other until he left for Monaco. Ana had refused to go on a vacation with him. In the meantime, Pepper had become the new CEO of Stark Industries. Ana wasn't sure if it was relief she felt, or guilt. Yes, Pepper was perfectly qualified for the job. But she had never signed up for this. Being Tony Stark's personal assistant was one thing, but officially running his company was another. People were now questioning her qualifications. Some even implied that she must have screwed her way to the top, and she was wrapping Tony Stark around her fingers. Had Ana accepted the offer, they would have simply said she was just one lucky rich bitch. Tony Stark's only kid. End of story. What they were doing to Pepper right now was far worse.

The man who had attacked her dad in Monaco didn't make things any better either. She shouldn't have fought her dad while he was in constant danger. Any conversation they had could be their last. It could be because of the palladium, the impending apocalypse, or a maniac with whips powered by an Arc Reactor. She was actually dying to know how that lunatic had been able to build one, but she was also too damn proud to ask her dad.

…

Tony Stark hadn't canceled his birthday party, even though he very well knew that Ana hated parties. He could have chosen to spend the day making peace with his daughter, but no, he had chosen to entertain a bunch of strangers instead. It was hurtful.

Someone knocked on her door. "Ana?"

Ana sighed. She was stupid to think it was her dad. "Come in, Rhodey."

"Hey, Ana. I just wanted—" His smile faded when he found her sitting in her bed, surrounded by paper tissues. "What's wrong, sweetie?"

"It's Dad…"

"Right." He sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled her into a hug.

"I can't take this anymore!" She burst into tears again. Rhodey was the closest thing she had to an uncle. She had considered telling him everything, but even if he agreed to keep her secret, that would only be a terrible burden she forced him to bear. His actual job was already stressful and dangerous enough.

"Yeah, I know. Look, we're going to make this okay. I promise you."

"No, Rhodey, you don't understand. You have no idea what's going on."

"Actually, I do. I know that the device in his chest is killing him."

Ana pulled herself back to look at him. This was only one, and the least complicated part of what she had meant, but she was still surprised to hear that he knew. "Wait, you know about the palladium?"

"I found out the other day."

"I've been working on it since he came home, and I haven't found a replacement yet. I don't think I ever will. Everyone thinks I'm a genius, but maybe I'm just an idiot!"

"Hey, hey, hey… Don't beat yourself up. You and Tony are the smartest people I know. If you guys can't fix this, no one can."

"How is he doing, by the way?"

"He's got out of control, Ana. Which is why I need your help."

"I don't think he'll listen to me."

"No, I'm not asking you talk to him. Look, dear, first the guy in Monaco, now this… I vouched for Tony, but they're getting restless."

"Who is _they_?"

"The government, the military… Things are about to get ugly real soon. You don't want that now, do you?"

Ana smiled. "Rhodey, you look like you're about to bribe me with candy. I'm not five anymore. Just tell me what you need."

"I need one of those suits."

Ana didn't ask why. It was probably an order from his superiors. She could stop him from taking a suit, but she didn't really want to do that. She had told her dad that he was on his own. And that wasn't going to change until he properly apologized to her.

"Okay," she shrugged. "You know where they are. Just take your pick."

"And that's all?" he asked in disbelief. "Shouldn't there be an authorization process or something?"

"Not for you. Your biometrics are already in the system."

"Are you sure?"

"Well, they can always be called back, or shut down remotely. I can hack the suit you choose to take and disable the unauthorized usage protocol, but it won't really stop Dad if he wants it back."

"I see. Thanks, sweetie. Now get out of here, okay? It might not be safe."

Now she was having second thoughts. "You won't really hurt him, right?"

Rhodey laughed. "Of course not! Tony is still my best friend. But someone must teach him a lesson."

"Probably."

"You're a good daughter, Ana."

"Yeah, I hear that a lot," she muttered as she rubbed her eyes dry with her sleeves and walked out of the room.

 _Maybe this is what he needs,_ she told herself as she took a detour to avoid the annoyingly noisy guests and got out of the mansion. A friend to kick his reckless, arrogant ass. He had practically become invincible since he had built the first suit. Yes, this was for his own good.

Rhodey must have warned the other guests as well, because they were now gathering outside the house. Happy got Pepper out just in time. She was furious, and she was looking for Natalie Rushman, the new assistant, probably to take her anger out of her, but she was nowhere to be seen.

Rhodey had promised not to hurt him, but the fight was still more violent than Ana had expected it to be. At some point, her dad screamed at the guests, and they all fled. Even Pepper, Happy, and Ana decided to run to a safer distance and waited until they saw Rhodey fly away in Mark II.

"I'm going home," Pepper announced. "And I don't think I'll be around Tony for a while."

Ana nodded. "I can't blame you."

"If you need anything—"

"Yeah, I know where to find you. Thanks, Pepper. I'm really sorry for this."

"It's not your fault."

"I'll give you a ride," Happy offered. He, too, seemed upset. "Ana, are you sure you'll be okay?"

"Don't worry, I can handle him. Goodnight, guys."

Ana found her dad in the partially destroyed kitchen. He was still in his damn suit. The more he used those suits, the more palladium the Arc Reactor consumed. He knew that, too. He just didn't seem to care.

"FYI," she said defiantly, "I let Rhodey take Mark II. I could've stopped him, but I didn't. You're still on your own."

He scrambled to his feet and looked at her. The faceplate was still on, so she couldn't see his face. Ana had seen him in this suit many times before, but now, she felt a bit intimidated. She knew he would never hurt her, but still, at that moment, he looked like a complete stranger.

Without a word, he took off and disappeared into the sky. Ana thought of calling the suit back. He was probably drunk as hell, and shouldn't be flying around. Then she remembered that she was still on a strike.

…

Someone knocked on her door. "Ms. Stark?"

The SHIELD agents had arrived shortly after her dad had left. Ana knew they were the good guys, and had a feeling that she was going to need their resources one day. But she couldn't just give them the time-traveler footage and let it become their problem instead. That would start a chain of causation, and surely, some of the original timeline had to be preserved. SHIELD was just a beacon of hope. Still, Ana didn't like having so many strangers around the house. This one's voice sounded familiar, though.

It was the same SHIELD agent who had found her in Stane's trunk after she had been paralysed and kidnapped. He had also been present during the hearing in DC. And he had done his best to be helpful.

"Agent Coulson? I didn't know you were here."

"Your father is back. I'm just here to make sure he stays put."

"Thank goodness… Is he okay?"

"Yeah, they found him in a donut, I think."

"I'm not even going to ask what that means."

Coulson gave her a smile that said, _"Yeah, I don't envy you."_ "Director Fury wants to see you both."

She found her dad talking to a man with an eye patch out on the terrace, indeed.

Ana cleared her throat to get their attention.

Director Fury went up to her and extended his hand. "Ms. Stark! We haven't been properly introduced. I'm Nick Fury, Director of SHIELD."

She shook his hand. "Nice to meet you, Director. Agent Coulson said you wanted to see me?"

"I hope we're not making you nervous."

"No, I just get nervous around people in general. It has nothing to do with you being… you know, the agents of some super shady government organization."

She immediately regretted having said that, but he grinned. "Good. Let's talk."

Her dad was staring at her as she pulled a chair. Yeah, he was definitely mad at her. But at least he looked better than he had in weeks.

"Dad," she greeted him coldly.

"Traitor," he muttered.

Ana chose to ignore this accusation.

"What do you know about your grandfather, Howard Stark?" Director Fury asked her.

"He was a genius, and a businessman, like Dad… That's actually all I know about him," Ana admitted.

"Trust me, kid, he wasn't anything _like_ me," her dad said bitterly. Wow. He obviously didn't like being compared to his father. Then he turned to Fury. "I don't know where you're getting your information, but he wasn't my biggest fan. He was cold, he was calculating. He never told me he loved me, he never even told me he liked me. So it's a little tough for me to digest when you're telling me he said the whole future was riding on me thing, and he's passing it down. I don't get that. We're talking about a guy whose happiest day was when he shipped me off to boarding school."

 _Yeah, that doesn't sound anything like you at all_ , she was almost going to say, but he sounded so hurt that she decided to keep her mouth shut. She didn't know much about her dad's relationship with his parents. He wouldn't talk much about them. But Fury surely hadn't come here to discuss the daddy issues of the Stark family. No, the two clearly had been discussing something else.

"Excuse me, but what am I missing?" she asked.

"The device in your old man's chest, it's based on unfinished technology," Fury replied. "That's why it's killing him."

"How can we finish it, then?"

"I don't know. You tell me. Howard trusted his son to finish what he'd started. But two geniuses is even better than one."

" _Finish what he'd started_."

"Is everything alright, Ms. Stark?"

"Yeah, yeah… I'm listening."

"How do you even know my dad?"

"He was one of the founding members of SHIELD," he explained, looking at his watch.

Tony and Ana exchanged puzzled looks. "What?"

"I got a two o'clock…"

"Wait, wait, wait… What's this?" her dad asked.

Two agents had brought a hard case. _Property of H. Stark._

"Look, I don't care which one of you figures it out. Just get it done, okay? Natasha will remain afloat at Stark, with her cover intact, and you remember Agent Coulson?"

When Ana turned around, she saw Natalie Rushman, only she didn't look like a PA anymore in that catsuit.

"Oh! You were never from Legal, were you?"

She smiled. "No. I'm Agent Natasha Romanoff with SHIELD."

"Well, that explains how you kicked Happy's ass."

"I'm afraid we can't let you tell Mr. Hogan the truth yet."

"My lips are sealed."

Agent Romanoff nodded. "We've disabled all communications. No contact with the outside world. Good luck."

Ana wanted to open the case and take a look. Maybe there was something about the Nexus inside. But she didn't want to touch it without her dad's permission. It just didn't feel right. He was still talking to Agent Coulson, though.

"…If you attempt to leave or play any games, I'll tase you and watch Supernanny while you drool into the carpet, okay?" Coulson told him. Ana wished Coulson hadn't threatened her dad, especially in his own home, but she didn't have the backbone to stand up for him either, so she remained quiet. Well, at least they were doing this to save his life.

"I think I got it, yeah."

"Enjoy your evening's entertainment," Coulson said before walking away.


	4. Chapter 4

Tony took the hard case and headed to his workshop.

"Let me help you with that."

"No, I'm good."

"Why do you have to be so stubborn?" Ana complained as she punched in the passcode and held the glass door open for him. He wasn't really mad at her, no. He understood why, of all people, she had every right to be angry with him. He was just not good at apologies.

After his parents' death, he knew he was supposed to miss them. And he missed his mom, he really did. But his dad? Not really. Every time he tried to mourn him, all he could think of was what a jerk he had been. The guilt, it would never go away. And yet, he was going to let it happen to Ana, too. She was going to remember him as the man who had thrown her to the wolves, she had said it herself. He wasn't even sure why he had thought being an asshole would be a good way to prepare her for the grief in the first place. Maybe it was the palladium. It clouded his mind. Lithium dioxide was helping, though.

He placed the case down on the floor and opened it.

"I didn't know he was a Captain America fan," she said when she saw the Captain America comics.

Tony wasn't surprised at all. "Yeah, it was so annoying."

"Why?"

He sighed. "Do we have to talk about it?"

"It's okay if you don't want to talk."

"No, I want to talk. I mean, I want to talk to you. Just… not about my dad."

"Okay. What about that man who tried to kill you in Monaco?"

"Ivan Vanko?"

"You knew him?"

"No, but Fury says our fathers knew each other. Damn, why does everything have to be about my dad today? Anyway, he and Anton Vanko created the Arc Reactor together. Vanko became greedy, though, and my dad deported his ass back to Russia, along with Ivan. But the Russians were also pissed, so the Vankos ended up in an exile in Siberia. I guess self-pity and vodka don't mix well."

"Ivan wanted revenge. But none of it was your fault, Dad. You didn't even know they existed."

"I don't think he cared."

" _You come from a family of thieves and butchers."_ Tony shivered. Lately, he had been so focused on himself that he had forgotten Ana could have been there with them in Monaco. What if Ivan had chosen to attack Ana, and not Tony? What if he had chosen to pay them a visit in America instead? As long as he killed a Stark, he most likely wouldn't have cared which one. Or, he could have made Tony do literally anything by threatening her. It was pure luck that Ana had been able to stay out of this one, not because he was doing a great job at keeping his daughter safe. Stane was almost going to kill her—twice—but Tony still hadn't learned his lesson.

…

Howard Stark was talking about the wonders of technology as Tony skimmed through his notes. Ana was watching the tape carefully; she would let him know if anything interesting showed up.

At some point, she giggled. "Dad, is that you?"

He looked up from the notebook, and saw himself in the background, as a kid, playing with the diorama of the 1974 Stark Expo, until his dad shooed him away. Yeah, he remembered that. Ana's smile faded. Frustrated, he returned to the notebook in his hand and kept reading, until he heard him say, " _Tony_."

It was a promotional video for the Expo, and Tony was pretty sure he hadn't been mentioned in any part of it. So, he put the notebook aside and gave his full attention to the screen.

" _You are too young to understand this right now, so I thought I would put it on film for you. I built this for you. And someday, you'll realize that it represents a lot more than just some people's inventions. It represents my life's work. This is the key to the future. I'm limited by the technology of my time. But one day you'll figure this out. And when you do, you will change the world. What is, and always will be, my greatest creation, is you._ "

Fury was right, then. His dad had had plans for him. Big plans. Then why had he always acted like his son was a useless idiot? A disappointment? Tony didn't know what to say. Hell, he didn't even know what to think.

" _They say sarcasm is a metric for potential. If that's true, you'll be a great man someday."_ That was the last thing he had told Tony before leaving the house. Tony had chosen to remain silent. He had thought his dad was just messing with him. Maybe he wasn't. Maybe he was pretty damn serious.

And maybe, Tony had to admit that deep down, he did miss his dad, too.

"Wow," Ana sighed thoughtfully. "That was… unexpected."

Tony looked at her. Mr. Jarvis had been right. Had he given up on her, he would definitely regret that decision. Especially right now. He was glad that she was here, with him. He was glad that he didn't have to be a lonely, miserable man, going through this shit alone.

 _Don't make the same mistake,_ he thought. _If you're to die, don't leave her confused and hurt. Say what you have to say now._

"Ana," he started. "I don't really think you're a traitor…"

Yeah, it wasn't a great start, but at least it was a start. He was kind of relying on her to take it from here.

"I know. But I shouldn't have let Rhodey take your property, even though he was your best friend. I was going to apologize… I just didn't want to start that conversation in front of a super spy."

"Good thinking, kid."

"By the way, you were right. You're nothing like your dad."

"Let's face it, honey, I'm a lousy dad."

"Not at all. Look what Anton Vanko did to his son. Or, what your dad did to you. I mean, I just saw it… You were never anything like that."

Tony frowned. Maybe she had a point. He had never been able to understand how some fathers could be so cruel to their kids. Well, he was in no position to judge parents with alcohol problems, but he was pretty sure that even when he was too drunk to remember his own name, a part of him still remembered that hurting Ana was a no-no. He was usually a happy drunk anyway. And if one day someone took everything from Tony and sent him to rot in a frozen shithole with his daughter, he wouldn't even _think_ of taking his anger out on her. How could he?

But was he supposed to give himself a pat on the shoulder just because he was a slightly more indulgent parent than his own father, or not an abusive piece of shit like Anton Vanko? No, he needed to be better than that.

"How bad was it? The boarding school?" Pepper had told him some things, but even she didn't have all the details.

"Not _too_ bad. I guess I was just being a drama queen. I mean, now that I think about it, other than the bullies, I got nothing to complain about my childhood. Which makes me a very lucky person."

"I shouldn't have sent you to New York. That was… wrong."

"No. Your dad shouldn't have sent you away, but I understand your reasons."

"Why? What's the difference?"

"Well, your dad wanted a family, right? Marriage, kids… He should've been prepared for that responsibility. I'm different, though. Kids are not for everyone, I get it. You never asked for any of this. You never wanted to be a father. I'm a… mistake."

Okay, this was by far the most heartbreaking thing he had ever heard. There was no shortage of people who accused him of being a monster, but now, he truly felt like one. And Ana wasn't even saying this to hurt him, which actually made it even worse.

"No, Ana… Look, I freaked out, okay? One day Rhodey told me how much you looked up to me, and when I realized he was right… I just freaked out. You were perfect, and I wasn't exactly the role-model material, so I took a page from my dad's book. I'm the mistake here. Not you."

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Dad. Contrary to popular belief, you do have a sense of responsibility. You just have a strange way of showing it."

"You think so? When it became certain that you were my kid, I was almost going to give you to a foster family, did you know that?"

"What changed your mind?" she asked softly. She didn't seem hurt, or upset at all. Tony didn't know how she was able to do this. Had his parents ever told him that they had even considered the option of getting rid of him at some point, he wasn't sure if he would have been able to remain so calm.

" _Who_ ," he corrected her. "Our butler, Mr. Jarvis."

"Jarvis?" she laughed.

He shook a finger at her. "This is a family secret."

"Okay. I won't tell anyone."

"Edwin Jarvis was a good man. _He_ would've been an awesome dad…"

"Did he not have a family?"

"He had a wife, but they couldn't have any kids. It didn't stop them from loving each other, though."

"Well, maybe true love is a thing, after all."

"Her name was Ana. Ana Jarvis." This was one of the many things he should have told her a long time ago.

And then, Ana did something she rarely did these days. She put a kiss on his cheek. "Now I'm really glad we didn't have our most sentimental conversation ever in front of a super spy."

 _That wasn't really hard, was it?_ he asked himself. Ana was actually an easy kid. It was him who made things complicated.

"Dad…"

"Hmm?"

"You heard Director Fury. We must keep looking."

"Right."

They spent the rest of the evening going through the stuff Fury had given them, but there was no mention of a replacement for palladium. When he woke up the next morning, Tony decided to pay Pepper a visit. Being honest with Ana had felt amazing. He was going to make things right with Pepper, too, while he was at it.

"What are you doing?" Ana cried when she realized he was preparing to leave the house. "We're basically under a house arrest! If they catch you—"

"Let them try."

"Where are you even going?"

"To Stark Industries. By the way, you're coming with me. I don't want Coulson to tase you while I'm not around. See? I'm not throwing you to the wolves."

She rolled her eyes. "You're never going to let that go now, are you?"

"Nope."

"Can I at least take this with me?" she asked, waving his dad's notebook.

"Sure thing. Actually, you know what, just keep it. It can be yours."

…

He wasn't sure why, but Ana seemed really absorbed in that notebook. He could drive all the way to Las Vegas and she probably wouldn't even notice. He was actually tempted to do it, just to see how she would react when he pulled in front of a casino. But he decided to leave her be. Maybe she would see something he had failed to see in those notes.

He stopped in front of a street vendor selling strawberries. "Does Pepper like strawberries?"

Ana nodded.

"Six dollars," the guy said.

He checked his pockets and realized he didn't have any cash on him. But he was wearing the watch Stane had given him. Why was he still wearing the damn thing? "I don't have any bills. Here, take it."

"No, that's too much."

"No, no, it's fine, take this."

"No, it's fine, _señor_."

"Take it, take it… Ana, can you take the box? I don't like people handing me things."

She absent-mindedly took the box of strawberries and gave it to him.

"Are you Iron Man?" the guy asked.

"Sometimes."

" _We believe in you!"_ he thought he heard him say as he sped away, but he wasn't sure.

He was trying to find the exact words he needed to tell Pepper when Ana interrupted his thoughts. "Dad, do you know where this hypercube is?"

"What hypercube?"

"This." She showed him a drawing in the notebook. Yeah, he had noticed the drawing earlier today, but he had no idea what exactly it was, or where it was right now.

"Never heard of it. Why?"

"Well, Grandpa Stark apparently got the inspiration for the Arc Reactor from this cube," she said, then returned to mumbling formulas to herself.

Ah, so she wanted to return to the original source to find a solution… Well, he could rummage through his dad's stuff, or scan the Stark Industries database to find a clue. But first, he needed to see Pepper. They were almost there.

…

"I'm trying to do the job you were meant to do."

Tony remained silent. Pepper was still mad at him. He had made a few attempts to explain himself, but he had failed miserably, so maybe it was best if he just let her scold him. Besides, she obviously still cared about him. Why else would she be trying to get Mark II back? Well, it was Tony who was actually letting Rhodey keep the suit, but Pepper didn't have to know that, did she? He just wanted to observe how far she was willing to go to defend him.

"Did you bring me strawberries?" she asked, but she didn't sound happy about it either. "Did you know that there's only one thing on Earth I'm allergic to—"

 _Shit_. "Allergic to strawberries… This is progress Pepper, I knew there was some correlation between you and this."

"I need you—"

"I need you, that's what I'm trying—"

"—To leave. Now."

There was a moment of awkward silence. Okay, he had officially messed this up. Why, though? He thought he was good with women. He always had something clever to tell them, and they would all be swooning over him. But there was something different about Pepper. It was as if his brain had stopped working. Or maybe, Pepper was just too clever for his tricks.

The door was opened. "Ms. Potts?"

Great. Natasha. Or, Natalie… Whatever. And Happy.

"Hi. Come—come on in."

"Wheels up in twenty-five minutes," she told Pepper, staring at Tony.

"Thank you."

"Anything else, boss?" Happy asked.

"I'm good—" he started, but then realized Happy wasn't talking to him. "I lost both kids in the divorce!"

He hoped that would make Happy smile, but it didn't. Wow. Even Happy was still mad.

"Are you blending in here well, _Natalie_? Here, at Stark Enterprises… Your name's Natalie, isn't it? I thought you two didn't… get along?"

"No. That's not so," Pepper replied.

"It's just me you don't care for. No? Nothing."

He had thought Pepper was jealous of his new assistant. Okay, he had _hoped_ Pepper was jealous of his new assistant. But it looked like "Natalie" was her assistant now.

"Actually, while you're here, you and Natalie can discuss the matter of the personal belongings."

Natasha nodded. "Absolutely."

Tony waited until Pepper and Happy left.

"I'm surprised you can keep your mouth shut," Natasha commented hastily.

"Boy, you're good! You are mind-blowingly duplicitous. How do you do this? You're a triple impostor, I've never seen anything like it. Is there anything real about you? Do you even speak Latin?"

He could see that he had hit a nerve. Good. He didn't like being fooled, and Romanoff had definitely fooled him.

She angrily mumbled something in Latin on her way out. Was it even Latin?

"Which means… What? What did you just say?"

"It means you can either drive yourself home, or I'll have you collected."

"You're good!" he repeated after she shut the door behind her.

He tried to stop that crazy thing on the desk spinning around, but failed. Frustrated, he ate a strawberry, then dumped the rest of the box into the bin. Damn, it was a stupid idea to come here…

Then, he noticed something. The 1974 Stark Expo model.

 _The Key to the Future is Here_

…

"Dad, what are you doing? What's that?"

"Stay in the car!"

"What's this?" she repeated.

"This is the Key to the Future, and you are going to have to share your seat with it. Here…"

She pulled her knees to her chest to make room for the diorama. Yeah, it looked a bit weird, but they had been able to place it in the car.

"Is it even safe to travel like this?"

"Are you wearing your seatbelt?"

"I always wear my seatbelt."

Of course she did. Had she ever broken one rule in her life?

"Then it's totally safe," he said, but decided to drive slower than usual, just in case, as he started the car.

"So, how did it go with Pepper?"

"Not well. I mean, I was trying to be thoughtful, I even bought her strawberries… How was I supposed to know—"

"Wait, you bought her strawberries? She's allergic to strawberries!"

"You said she liked them."

"Oh, crap… Dad, I'm so sorry, I wasn't—"

He had thought Ana didn't know about the allergy either, but apparently, she did. He nodded. "You weren't listening, yeah."

"Dad, I'm really sorry!"

Tony laughed. She was apologizing to him like it was the end of the world. "It's okay, kid. Next time, I'll just buy her chocolate… Or, flowers. She doesn't have a problem with those, does she?"

"No… What are you even going to do with _this_?" she asked, looking curiously at the diorama she was trying to hold steady.

"My dad said it represented his life's work, right? Let's see what it was about."

"Well, I guess it's worth a shot."

…

"1974 Stark Expo model scan complete, sir."

"Ah, how many building are there?"

"Am I to include the Belgium waffle stands?"

"It was rhetorical, just show me," he said, moving the scan away from the table.

JARVIS highlighted the buildings.

"What does that look like to you, Ana? JARVIS? Any ideas?"

Well, he had a guess, but he wondered if they had seen it as well.

"Let's think simple," Ana said, circling around the hologram. "What exactly do we need right now?"

Tony nodded. "A replacement for palladium."

"Which is, an element. And if we're looking at our solution, then this should be—"

 _Yep, that's my girl_. "An atom. In this case, this is—"

"The nucleus!"

"JARVIS, highlight the Unisphere… Lose the footpaths. Get rid of them."

"What is it you're trying to achieve, sir?"

"I'm discovering—correction, rediscovering an element." Yeah, he had spotted the nucleus, but what about the rest?

"Try using the pavilions for the protons and neutrons," Ana suggested.

"Yeah, do as she says."

JARVIS did. And, it worked.

He chuckled. He was too desperate for a solution to be proud about this right now. "Dead for almost twenty years, still taking me to school…"

"The proposed element should serve as a viable replacement for palladium."

"Thanks, Dad…"

"Unfortunately, it is impossible to synthesize."

 _You think so, JARVIS?_ "Get ready for a major remodel, fellas. We're back in hardware mode."

"Dad, we need a Particle Accelerator!"

He shrugged. "Only a small one."

"You can't be serious…"

"Look, I need you to make a core container for the element, and a new Arc Reactor, while I get the heavy work done, okay?"

She let out an exasperated sigh.

"Come on, Ana! Do you have any better ideas? Because if we don't do this, I'm going to die."

"Okay, okay… Do you have any particular ideas for the design?"

He thought for a second. "Surprise me."

…

"So, what do you think?"

"Wow, it's so sleek. Really distinctive. I like it," he said, examining the new Arc Reactor for Mark VI, and the triangle-shaped core container.

"I knew you would. That's why I've already redesigned the chest piece of Mark VI accordingly."

"Splendid. We're almost done. Come on, help me with these coils. They need to be perfectly balanced."

"Yeah. Otherwise… boom," she reminded him in a calm, but disapproving tone.

"Don't do that. Don't lecture me. I feel like I'm talking to my mom's ghost. It's just crazy."

"Was she… you know, like your dad?" she asked, opening up another crate.

He smiled. If only his mom could see Ana… "No."

"I wish I could meet her."

"You look like her."

"Is that why I make you uncomfortable?"

"Only when you're lecturing me."

"Sorry. I can just let Pepper do the lecturing from now on."

To avoid her gaze, he turned his attention to the screw he was tightening. "I'm not sure if Pepper will ever bother to lecture me again," he mumbled.

"Look, she's right to be angry. We both wronged her."

"You did nothing wrong, it's just me."

"No, we both escaped our responsibilities. Maybe my excuse is slightly better than yours, but it's still an excuse. Do you have any idea how hard she's been trying to prove herself a capable businesswoman since you made her the CEO?"

"Everyone at Stark Industries knows how capable she is. She doesn't have anything to prove to anyone else."

"No, Dad. She kind of does. Have you even heard the rumors they're spreading about me and Pepper? We're basically the new Snow White and the Evil Queen."

He froze. For some reason, the metaphor made him uncomfortable. "But it's not true, right? You two are not like the… you know…"

"No, we get along just fine. But she takes all the heat, while we sit here all day and do whatever we want. Hell, we might be about to blow up the entire mansion."

"Don't worry, we can afford to rebuild it."

"Yeah, thanks to Pepper."

He laid the wrench in his hand aside and crossed his arms. "Alright, what do you suggest?"

If there was a way to win Pepper back, Ana probably knew it, so he was all ears. Unfortunately, Coulson decided to interrupt. Who had given him a passcode?

"I heard you broke the perimeter."

"Ah, yeah. That was like three years ago, where have you been?"

"I was doing some stuff."

"Yeah, well… Me, too, and it worked. Hey, I'm playing for the home team, Coulson. You and all your Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers… Let me work, or—"

"What's this doing here?" He showed him an early prototype of Captain America's shield.

 _I don't know, and I don't care._ It would make a perfect shim, though. "That's it, bring it to me."

"Do you know what this is?"

"It's exactly what I need to make this work." He took the shield from Coulson. Another Captain America fan. Wonderful. "Lift the coil. Go, go… Drop it, drop it."

This had to be blasphemy for Coulson. For one second, his expression was priceless, but then, it returned to his resting agent face. Ah, small pleasures…

"Perfectly level," he said, after testing the balance. "I'm busy, what do you want."

"Nothing. Goodbye. I've been reassigned. Director Fury wants me in New Mexico."

"Fantastic, the Land of Enchantment."

"So I'm told."

"Secret stuff?"

"Something like that."

He extended his hand. "Good luck."

"Bye."

"We need you."

"Yeah, more than you know."

"Not that much… Ms. Stark, a word, please?"

"Yeah, sure. Dad, don't start without me."

He was nearly done with setting up the Particle Accelerator by the time Ana returned to the shop.

"What did Coulson want from you?"

"Nothing. He just asked me to call SHIELD if you start acting like a five-year-old again. These guys are actually watching your back, Dad. You don't have to be a jerk to them."

He chuckled. "At least one of us is making friends."

"Oh, I wouldn't say we were friends, but…"

He handed her a pair of protective glasses. "Put these on. If something goes wrong—"

"I'll shut the power down."

"Not before I tell you, though." Ana had an awful tendency of giving up too soon. "Dum-E, stay out of the way, or this time I'm really donating you to a city college."

"Don't worry, Dum-E, I'd never let him do that," Ana said, giving Dum-E a kiss. He chirped happily.

"Hey, stop spoiling my bots! Okay, JARVIS, let's do this."

The room went dark as JARVIS rerouted most of the power in the mansion to the Accelerator.

"Initializing the Prismatic Accelerator… Approaching maximum power…"

"Oops!" The laser was harder to control than he had thought. The stack of books he had placed beneath a coil had collapsed.

There was going to be some mess for Dum-E and U to clean up later, but he managed to guide the beam right into the container. He waited until the element was synthesized before shutting the Accelerator down.

"Did it work?" Ana asked skeptically.

"There's only one way to find out," he said, and he went to pick it up.

He took off the glasses and tossed them aside. He knew it had worked. After all, his dad had discovered it. Carefully, with a pair of tweezers, he took it.

"Congratulations, sir. You have created a new element."

Tony placed the element into his new Arc Reactor. He could hear Ana whisper behind him. "Please, please, please… Please work…"

"Sir, the reactor has accepted the modified core. I will begin running diagnostics."

With a squeal of joy, Ana hugged him, almost knocking him over. "You did it!"

"No, kid… _We_ did it."

"As long as you're safe, I don't care who takes the credit."

Tony smiled. Those who were hoping the world to consume him would be very disappointed. As long as he had his baby girl, nothing could consume Tony Stark.

She released him. "Coffee?"

Well, he needed something stronger than coffee, but he probably should wait for a little longer before he started drinking again. At least until he earned a pardon from Pepper. "Yeah."

Ana went to pour the coffee.

"So, what will you name it? The element, I mean?"

He hadn't thought about it. But it was a good question. "How about… _badassium_?"

She cringed as she handed him a mug.

"What? You don't like it?"

"Would you get offended if I said no?"

"How about the good, old-fashioned 'starkium,' then?"

"Well, you like seeing your name on pretty much everything," she said, but he could still sense her disappointment.

He looked around and realized that the shop was still a mess. "Dum-E, U… Can we clean up this mess? They're killing me, you know I don't—"

The phone started to ring. "Incoming call with blocked number, sir."

"Phone privileges reinstated. Lovely… Coulson, how's the Land of Enchantment?"

It wasn't Coulson, though. "Hey, Tony. How are you doing?" a man with a heavy Russian accent asked. "I double cycled."

"What?"

"You told me double cycle for more power. Good advice."

"You sound pretty sprightly for a dead guy."

"You, too."

He muted the microphone.

"Dad?" Ana asked warily.

He gestured her to be quiet. The last thing he needed was Ana's voice giving Ivan fresh ideas for his pursuit of vengeance. "Trace him, JARVIS."

"Sir."

"Now, the true history of Stark name will be written."

"JARVIS, where is he?"

"Accessing the Oracle Grid… Eastern seaboard…"

"What your father did to my family over forty years, I will do to you in forty minutes."

He unmuted the microphone. "Sounds good, let's get together and hash it out."

"I hope you're ready."

"Call trace incomplete."

Damn it.

"It was Ivan Vanko, wasn't it?"

Tony nodded.

"Forty minutes? What can he do to you in forty minutes?"

"I'm not sure, but I think I know where he'll be tonight." He said, looking at the news. Justin Hammer would be at the Expo.

Ana looked at the screen with disgust. "Hammer is giving a presentation? That guy's very existence is an insult to engineering! How can Pepper let this happen?"

Pepper. Pepper would be there as well.

Without a second thought, he grabbed the new Arc Reactor and swapped it with the old one.

"Dad—"

"Sir—"

"You want to run some tests, run them! And assemble the suit while you're at it."

Both Ana and JARVIS were speaking at the same time, he couldn't even make out what they were saying. They were probably telling him to wait, which wasn't going to happen.

"I don't want to hear it!"

This new element felt… weird. But not in a bad way. "It tastes like coconut… and metal. Oh, wow… Yeah…"

"Dad? Are you… okay?"

He had to take a few deep breaths before speaking. "Yeah, I'm good."

"Are you sure?"

Every second mattered, but all of a sudden, he paused. What if this was just a trap to lure him out of the house? Maybe Vanko wasn't oblivious to Ana's existence at all.

"Just go, Dad," she said, as if she could hear his thoughts. "I'll be safe here. You might have to save a lot lives tonight, including Pepper's."

"JARVIS, initiate the Home Alone Protocol after I leave."

"As you wish, sir."

"The Home Alone Protocol? Seriously?"

"Yeah, I made some upgrades while the house was being repaired… Oh, and watch the air traffic. Call me if you see anything odd coming this way. Don't do anything stupid until I get back." He spread his arms and waited for JARVIS to suit him up.

"Yeah, I'm not going back to that motel."

"I mean, don't put on a suit and follow me to the Expo." He knew she had no intention of becoming a sidekick, but it was time to make it official.

"Oh, thanks for the idea."

"What?" He would have jumped if he didn't have to stand still while donning Mark VI.

"I'm just kidding."

"Not cool, Ana… Not cool."

…

Despite the number of women he had been with, being woken up by a kiss was a rare thing for Tony. "Good morning."

"Good morning." He kissed Pepper back and pulled her closer, only to realize that she was already fully dressed. Too bad. Last night, he had found out she looked much more gorgeous when she was naked.

Pepper must have understood, because she chuckled, and then gently pushed him back to the bed. He stayed there and watched her dab on some makeup in front of the mirror.

So, his days as a playboy were apparently over. Not that he complained. In fact, he was the happiest man in the world right now. Pepper didn't seem to have any regrets about last night either. And he was determined to keep it that way. He was determined to do right by her from now on.

"It's Saturday," he remembered, yawning. "Who works on Saturday?"

"A lot of people work on Saturday."

"You don't have to be one of them… Come on, darling, you're still the CEO, right? You didn't resign?"

"I'm not working today. I'm going to brunch with Ana. Then we're going to do some shopping."

"Sounds great," he said, but her voice had given him the impression that he wasn't allowed to join. "Are you going to tell her… you know, about us?"

She chuckled. "She's your daughter, Tony. She should hear it from you. I don't think she'll be shocked, though. I mean, Rhodey didn't seem really shocked on that roof, did he?"

He had never thought this would happen. Him and Pepper… But maybe, he had always known, and yet he had done everything he could to delay the inevitable. But Vanko's attack had made him realize what a huge mistake it was. Had Tony been one second late, Pepper would be gone now. There wouldn't even be a dead body on a metal table.

He decided to get out of the bed, and went to hug her from behind. "Yeah, I didn't know we were so obvious," he purred into her ear.

"I'm starting to think we were pretty obvious to everyone but ourselves."

They were taking things slow. One question at a time. It was almost like a silent agreement between them. Now he felt like it was time for another question.

"Are you still worried about what people are going to think about this?"

He recalled the night they had danced at the benefit for the Firefighter's Family Fund last year, how nervous she was about what people were going to say about her. Damn, he should have just kissed her on that night. But things were different back then. Pepper was just his assistant, not the CEO. He had thought people would show her more respect if they saw Tony trusted her with his company, but Ana was right. It had backfired. Well, Pepper was the CEO of Stark Industries. And his girlfriend. The rest of the world was going to have to live with that.

"I was, at first. Now I realize they aren't going to say anything I haven't already heard."

"Hmm. I think I love it when you don't take shit from anyone."

She turned around to face him and gave him another kiss. "I really must be going now, Tony."

Reluctantly, he released her. "When will you be back?"

"Oh, I can't stay here tonight. My mom's coming to town," she said as she grabbed her purse. "I'm going to pick her up from the airport at seven. Ana should be home by then."

Right. Mrs. Potts probably wanted to make sure her daughter was okay after everything that had happened. Tony wondered when he was going to have to officially meet her. Meeting your partner's family, that was a part of a stable relationship, right?

After Pepper left, Tony sighed. He didn't have to worry about Pepper's mom yet. But he still had an _"I have a girlfriend"_ speech to give this evening.

…

Dinner was almost ready by the time Ana returned.

She appeared at the kitchen door shortly after JARVIS announced her arrival.

"Lasagna?" she asked, sniffing the air.

"JARVIS told me you live on zoodles and green smoothies. I had to do something about it."

"JARVIS talks too much. For the record, I have a healthy and balanced diet."

"Too healthy, and too balanced, if you ask me. Damn it, kid… Just do something crazy once in a while. Be unpredictable."

"Actually, I might have done something…" she started nervously.

"Like what?" Tony laughed. Knowing Ana, she had probably spent a few thousand bucks on clothes and was now going to act like the company had gone bankrupt because of her.

"I've applied to graduate school."

His smile faded. Okay, he hadn't seen that one coming. Was she leaving him again? Why? He had thought they were getting along just fine. In fact, they were a great team.

He took the lasagna out of the oven and brought it to the table, wondering what he had done to screw things up this time.

She, too, seemed a bit nervous while cutting herself a piece.

"It's okay, kid," he assured her. "If you don't want to live here—"

"Here's the thing, Dad. I do want to stay here. But I can't."

Tony frowned. "What is it, Ana?"

"Apparently, I was recommended for the SHIELD Academy of Science and Technology."

 _Be careful what you wish for, Tony_. Now this was definitely something crazy and unpredictable. "And?"

"And I need at least one Ph.D to enter. They're not making an exception for me."

Tony remained silent. He wasn't sure what to say, or even think. His dad would probably be proud of her right now. After all, he was a founding member of SHIELD. But Tony wasn't his dad.

"Dad, say something. Are you upset?"

"No, I'm not upset. It's just… Do you have any idea how precious you are to me? I don't want you to spend your life fighting someone else's wars."

"I won't be fighting anyone's wars, Dad. I'm a scientist, not a soldier."

Damn, she really wanted to do this. He could see it in her eyes. She wasn't asking for permission. "You're going back to MIT, then, huh?"

"I'm not going back to MIT. I'll be in New York."

"Why do I feel like you're about to drop another bomb?"

"Because I am. I apologized to Pepper today, and then I told her that as your heir, I was ready to embrace my responsibilities."

"You asked her to resign?"

"After everything she's done for us? No, that would be incredibly rude. And selfish. But I can help Pepper with her responsibilities, and she can teach me business."

He nodded. This sounded great. Ana would learn business from the best. "So, you'll be her new assistant?"

"Well, my official title will be Chief Technology Officer. That should be enough to put an end to those nasty Snow White and the Evil Queen rumors."

"Sounds awesome."

"Yep. Pepper thinks we need a new HQ in New York, to show the world what else the Arc Reactor technology can do, other than powering your suits. She asked me if it could be used for self-sustaining energy—"

"That's a wonderful idea!"

"That's exactly what I told her. So, I'll be in charge of the new Stark Tower. The renewal construction, the R&D department and everything. Well, mostly I'll just make sure everyone follows Pepper's orders, but I'll learn business, and I won't be too out of my comfort zone either."

"I still don't get why you need SHIELD. I'm sure Pepper will keep you busy."

"I think you're just jealous that I got recommended and you did not," she teased.

"Not at all. I'm a consultant now. It's a really important job."

She rolled her eyes.

"Alright, maybe I'm a bit jealous."

She became serious again. "Dad, I'm not avoiding you. Not anymore. Everything I do, I do it to remain your daughter. No matter what happens, please remember that."

"Remain my daughter? What's that supposed to mean?"

"It—It means you can't get rid of me that easily. I'll call you every day. And I'm not in a hurry to join SHIELD. For now, I'll just take my time in New York."

"Good."

"In the meantime, try not to break Pepper's heart, okay?"

"Wait, who told you?"

Pepper had made it clear that Ana should hear it from Tony. So, it couldn't be Pepper. JARVIS had very specific privacy settings. Rhodey, then.

"No one. I'm not blind, Dad. Okay, Rhodey might have told me about the kiss. I'm happy for you and Pepper. Just… don't mess it up."

"I don't want to mess it up," he admitted.

"I know."

"Honey, I think there's one more thing we need to talk about." He couldn't delay this any further. If Ana was to leave home soon, he needed to know.

"Yeah?"

"When Stane came here to steal the Arc Reactor… What he said about you… It was…"

"Creepy?"

"Yeah, creepy. He really seemed convinced that you'd been dead."

"I know. But I have no idea what he was talking about."

"After he took you, what happened? He'd said he wanted you to tell him your little secret."

"Nothing happened, Dad. I was paralyzed, and he just locked me in the trunk of his car. Then Coulson found me while you two were fighting."

"Okay, this is crazy, but…" He rubbed a hand over his face before continuing. No, it wasn't flat-out crazy. After all, several years ago, in Switzerland, Tony had met a woman who had come very close to harnessing the bio-electricity in the body to stimulate tissue regeneration. Before that, during WWII, his dad had created a supersoldier, and then never shut up about him for the rest of his life. "Is there anything you might want to tell me? Maybe some experiment at MIT gone wrong… or right? Wait, is that why SHIELD is after you?"

She laughed. "First of all, SHIELD is not _after_ me. They recruit promising scientists all the time. Secondly, what do you mean by _some experiment gone wrong_?"

"I—I just thought you might have powers. Like, extraordinary healing powers. I just can't think of any other explanation. It's okay, though. You can tell me. I'd sleep a lot better if I knew you were tougher than you looked."

"Dad, I am tougher than I look, believe me. But I don't have any powers. I don't know why Stane thought I somehow cheated death. Sorry. But I want to show you something after the dinner. Deal?"

"Deal."

Indeed, after the dinner, she took him to the garage, wrapped a tourniquet above her elbow, took a blood sample while Tony watched her in a confused silence.

"What's this?" he asked, now even more confused, when she handed him the sample.

"Proof that I don't have any healing powers. Feel free to analyze it yourself."

He put the vial aside. Did she really think he wouldn't believe her? "There's no need for that. If you say you don't have any powers, then you don't have any powers. You wouldn't lie to me."

She gave him a curious look, one Tony didn't even know how to interpret, so he decided to let this go. The poor girl had been through enough, he was only making it worse with these stupid questions. Stane knew what Tony's greatest fear was. He must have said what he had said just to torment him.

"Speaking of that night, how did you manage to go down to the garage while paralyzed?"

"Oxygen speeds up muscle recovery. I took really deep breaths. I wasn't 100% sure if it would work, but I had to improvise. I couldn't let him take my greatest creation."

"Yeah, I can't even imagine what Stane could've done with the Arc Reactor."

"I'm not talking about the Arc Reactor. I'm talking about you. You're my greatest creation."

"You stole that line from your dad," she tried to quip, but there were tears in her eyes.

 _Maybe_ , he thought as he brushed Ana's hair out of her face. But there were two things he would never doubt: Her genius, and her honesty. Yep, definitely his greatest creation…


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Shuri is here! She is a bit older in this story than she is in canon. To give you an idea, she is 18 when the Battle of New York happens. I don't want to spoil anything, because the sequel will focus on Shuri and mostly be told from her POV, but in the next chapter you'll probably understand why I aged her up.**

 **By the way, thanks for all the reviews, follows, and favorites. I know I'm not a very responsive author. That's because I don't want to litter the story with Author's Notes, and I don't feel very comfortable with the PM feature either (and it's not even an option for the guest reviews). I just want you to know that I read every review.**

* * *

Shuri poked Ana with a pen and gestured her to look out the classroom window.

When she did, she spotted the newest addition to the city's skyline. The name STARK was glowing blue at the top of the Stark Tower. Her dad must have disconnected the building from the general electricity network, then.

Instinctively, she started toying with the necklace he had given her. She wasn't a jewelry person, but she was willing to make an exception for her grandmother's favorite necklace. He had given it to Ana when she had told him how nervous she was about an interview she and Pepper were going to give to _Forbes_ , and to her surprise, it had indeed helped.

"Daddy's little girl," Shuri whispered.

Ana stuck her tongue at her in response. Yes, they were acting like five-year-olds, but in their defense, Professor Adams wasn't teaching anything they didn't already know about Advanced Thermodynamics. The two girls were having a hard time not to nod off.

Shuri was a genius and a princess. Literally. Her father was the king of Wakanda. Despite their isolationist traditions, King T'Chaka had wanted his children to see the world. Shuri's brother, T'Challa had had a Ph.D at Oxford, but Shuri had wanted a different adventure here in New York. And Ana was glad that she had, because Shuri was a great friend. Okay, she sometimes challenged Ana to get out of her comfort zone, but she did it without being pushy.

"Would you like to come over and meet the lovebirds?" she offered once the class was finally dismissed. She knew Shuri was flying to Wakanda tonight, but it wasn't like she had a commercial flight to catch.

"Why not?"

They walked to the parking lot together. Ana got into her car; she knew Shuri would be right behind her. Hers was a really expensive looking custom-built one, but Ana hadn't asked her how she could afford it while the rest of Wakanda lived in poverty. After all, Ana, too, had chosen to look the other way while her dad made a fortune by selling weapons, and had he not changed, she would still be looking the other way, because that was the convenient thing to do. She was in no position to judge others.

…

"Welcome home, Miss Stark. Your father is in the penthouse. Hello, Princess Shuri." JARVIS greeted them in the elevator.

"Hello, JARVIS." Shuri was one of the few people who didn't look at the ceiling while talking to JARVIS. Ana never understood why most people did that. It wasn't like JARVIS was some creature lived in the ceilings.

"What about Pepper?" Ana asked.

"Ms. Potts has left for Washington DC."

 _Shit_. Pepper wasn't supposed to leave until tomorrow. Had they had a fight or something? Well, there was only one way to find out. "Take us to the penthouse, then."

"Is this a bad time?" Shuri asked her.

Ana shrugged, trying to look optimistic. "Maybe Pepper is just being a workaholic."

JARVIS must have warned her dad, because when the elevator pinged, and the door slid open, he greeted them with his usual smile.

"You are a sight for sore eyes, young lady!"

Ana went to hug him. "Sorry, Dad. I had a class."

"I know." He gently smoothed her hair before releasing her and extending his hand to Shuri.

"You must be that princess from Wakanda…"

"Shuri," she shook his hand.

"Tony."

Shuri flung herself down on the couch, and Ana sat down across from her. It didn't escape her notice that her dad had quickly put something—it looked like the debriefing folders he usually got from SHIELD—under the desk before joining them.

Shuri then took out her phone. "You guys wouldn't mind if I used your landing pad, would you?"

"For what?" he asked, now curiously staring at the phone.

"I have no classes for the rest of the week, so I thought I could pay my family a visit."

"Well, make yourself at home. It's a relatively small pad, though, will it be okay for the pilot?"

"She's the pilot, Dad."

Shuri grinned. "What's the point of building a jet if you don't get to fly it yourself?"

He nodded in approval. "I like you."

"I have a question," Shuri suddenly said, suspiciously looking at Ana, "Is it true that Ana has never tried out one of your suits? Like, ever?"

"She's afraid of heights."

"Is there anything she is _not_ afraid of?"

"Seriously? You guys met like ten seconds ago, and you're already teaming up against me? I kind of feel betrayed here…"

"You are still my favorite American, don't worry."

"Hey, no complaints on my part," her dad added.

They talked about New York, the graduate school, and the Stark Tower, until Shuri announced that she should be going.

"Where's your ride, though?" he asked, looking around. He thought it still hadn't arrived. It probably had arrived about half an hour ago. It just had the most advanced stealth tech ever.

Shuri and Ana looked at each other and smiled. Shuri took her phone again and disabled the stealth mode. Her jet appeared on the landing pad outside.

His face was priceless. "Okay, I'm impressed…" he mumbled.

"Goodbye, Mr. Stark," she said and headed to the balcony. Ana went after her.

"You know, it's not easy to make my dad jealous…"

"I know," she said triumphantly. "But he's cool. I like him. I hope you get to meet my family one day… in Wakanda."

"I thought it was hard to get a visa."

"Yeah, I'm working on that."

"Look, Shuri, I'd love to visit your home, but I don't want you to get into any trouble because of me."

She hadn't met her father, or brother, but both sounded to be pretty strict about the rules.

"Our grandfathers trusted each other once. I think we should do that again."

"Do you want me to lead an expedition, like Grandpa Stark did?"

Shuri had told her the real story behind Captain America's shield. Howard Stark and his team had been one of the few outsiders allowed into Wakanda. The shield was made of the vibranium Shuri's grandfather had gifted to the Stark scientists as a sign of good faith. Ana sometimes wondered how many more secrets her grandfather had. Because it was getting difficult to decide which one she needed to focus on to change the dystopian future ahead.

After becoming the CTO, Ana had turned all the archives and storage facilities of the company upside down—especially the ones in New York—but she hadn't been able to find anything about the Nexus. Despite all that fuss, even the new element had turned out to be a dead end.

Shuri thought for a second before answering. "Something like that."

Ana hugged her. "Take care, Princess."

"You, too, colonizer."

After Shuri took off, Ana returned inside.

"I told you she was cool."

"You know, with a princess like that, Wakanda doesn't have to remain a third-world country."

"Dad, please… We don't discuss business, or politics with Shuri."

"Why not?"

"Because such discussions are bad for our friendship. She doesn't tell me what to do with Stark Industries, and I don't tell her what to do with Wakanda."

"Okay," he said with an understanding smile.

Wakanda had secrets, you didn't have to be a genius to see that much. But Ana didn't want to ruin her friendship with Shuri just to uncover them. Whatever those secrets were, they weren't worth it.

She then realized that Shuri had left her car in the garage, and her dad didn't know that. She decided not to tell him. Ana had enough self-restraint to not betray her friend's trust by studying her property without permission. Unfortunately, Tony Stark wasn't known for his self-restraint.

"How's work, by the way? Pepper said you were struggling."

"It's not so bad. It's just… People want to take their orders from someone who looks like she knows what she's doing, and I don't think I give them the impression yet. I wish confidence was something they taught us at school."

"Well, I can teach you one or two things about confidence. You know how the old saying goes. _Fake it till you make it_."

"Is that what you do? You just… fake it?"

She had never thought her dad had to _fake_ confidence He was who he was. But maybe she had been wrong. Maybe even Tony Stark had his insecurities.

"Sometimes," he simply said.

"Why did Pepper leave early, by the way? Don't tell me you guys had a fight."

"No, I just have homework. She didn't want me to get distracted."

"Homework?"

He turned on the computer, and Ana realized he had been working on something before she and Shuri arrived. "Agent Coulson came by. Did you know that his first name was Phil? And he and Pepper are pals?"

"Yeah, of course."

"What about you?"

She laughed. "I can't be friends with Coulson, Dad. He's going to be my superior some day. But he's cool."

"In that case, I guess you're not allowed to see those either," he said, pointing at the holograms.

 _Challenge accepted_. "Probably not," she agreed and went to take a closer look.

There was Captain America; her grandfather's favorite hero had recently returned from the dead, and Ana assumed he still had the vibranium shield with him. Then there was Dr. Bruce Banner, who had turned himself into a green gamma radiation monster while trying to replicate the super-soldier serum, and… An alien named Thor. In the myths, he was Loki's brother. Gosh, he even had a hammer…

"I thought the Avengers Initiative wasn't a thing anymore…"

"It wasn't… Until this guy showed up."

He opened another file, and Ana thought her heart had stopped when she read the name.

 _Loki_

So, this was it, then. This was the moment it all became undeniably real. Ana wished she just could go back to the simple days she thought Loki was just the nickname of some Scandinavian computer nerd.

 _Come on, girl, pull yourself together…_ "L—Loki, like, Thor's brother? Like, the god?"

"Like the alien," he corrected her. "And yes, I think there's definitely some kind of family drama going on here. But that's not our problem. What we need to focus on is… this."

 _The Tesseract_

"Wait…" Ana gasped. "I've seen this before!"

"Really? Where?"

"I'll be right back!"

She went to her office and closed the door.

 _Calm down, Ana… Just calm down. This is a good thing, Loki is on your side. Soon, you'll have all the answers._

The last thing she wanted was to lose her shit in front of her dad. She forced herself to remember why she had come here in the first place, unlocked her safe, and took Howard Stark's notebook.

"Is everything okay?" he asked when she came back.

"Remember that hypercube I asked you about?" she asked, showing him the notebook. "Apparently, it was the Tesseract."

He took the notebook and compared his dad's drawing of the cube to the actual picture. "Nice catch, kid."

Ana looked at Loki's picture again, this time more carefully. He didn't seem very friendly. But looks could be deceiving. Ana had to maintain hope. "So, is this the bad guy?"

He nodded.

"Are we sure? I mean, could it be a misunderstanding?"

He sighed and showed her another picture taken from the air. A wreckage of a place that had been a research facility once. "Does this look like a misunderstanding to you?"

Ana gulped. "Did Loki do this?"

"To be specific, the portal he opened did it, but I wouldn't give him the benefit of doubt. He's also brought a… scepter, something that helps him control people's minds. One of those people is… Erik Selvig, a brilliant astrophysicist, apparently. Which makes me wonder, do you still think it's safe to work for SHIELD? I mean, this might be you someday, when you…"

This wasn't helping at all. "Damn it," she mumbled to herself and decided to have some of his Scotch.

"Uhm, you might want to start with something more…"

She didn't listen to him. But after the first sip, she immediately regretted that decision. She hadn't tasted anything stronger than beer before.

She wrinkled her face. "This burns…"

"Yeah, that's what I was trying to tell you…"

"No," she shook her head, "I need this."

She drained the glass and waited for a miracle. When nothing happened in the next five seconds, she reached for the bottle again, but he stopped her.

"Hey," he said softly. "Take it easy."

She put the glass down and buried her face in his shoulder instead. Nothing peculiar had happened since she had moved to New York, and now this… She had been caught totally unprepared.

He rocked her a little. "What's wrong?"

 _Everything_ , she wanted to say. _It's too much, Dad. Make it stop._

"We're not ready for this," she said instead. "Just look at them. Gods, and magic…"

"There's no such thing as magic, Ana. Not for people like us. What others fear, we study it, we understand it, and we find a way to control it."

 _I am going to tell him,_ she decided. _Once I talk to Loki, and understand what exactly we are up against, I am going to tell him everything. I can't do this anymore._

Yes, maybe he would freak out at first. But he was much stronger and smarter than Ana could ever be. The decision helped her feel better.

"I know."

"Good, because I still have a Thermonuclear Astrophysics reading to do." Again, he smoothed her hair. "Go get some sleep. I'll leave the debriefing package here, you can take a better look in the morning."

"Dad, I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight."

He didn't insist. "Well, I can't blame you. Come on, then. Help your old man. JARVIS, where's my music?"

…

Since the time-traveler incident, this was the second longest night in Ana's life, and she wasn't sure which one was more difficult: Keeping her shit together after witnessing her own death, or trying to find something that could help her trust Loki.

Despite the adrenaline rush, and three mugs of strong coffee, she must have fallen asleep at some point, because when she opened her eyes, she was lying on the couch, someone had put a blanket on her, the sun was up, and there was a SHIELD quinjet outside.

"Dad?"

"Morning," he said cheerfully. He was tying his tie. Of course he had to wear one of his expensive suits, even while saving the world from an alien invader.

"When did I fall asleep?"

"While calculating how far Loki must have traveled."

Right. She had thought she could use the radius of the damage zone to calculate the length of the portal. Either her math was wrong, or Loki had really come from billions of light years away.

"Are you leaving?"

"Yep."

"Dad? Can I come with you?" She really needed to talk to Loki. Maybe that was why she was supposed to be in New York; to go on this mission with her dad.

He looked at her with an expression of utter panic. "Ana, no…"

"Please?" she insisted, trying to sound as sweet as possible.

"Why do you even want to come?"

"I can help you track the cube. You know I can."

"Look, kid, this is superhero business. Also, I don't think your future boss would approve."

"What if… I changed my mind about joining SHIELD?"

"Nice try."

Wow. Ana had never seen him so… authoritative before.

"Okay," she relented.

"How do I look?" he asked after putting on his jacket.

"Ridiculously overdressed for the occasion." She was one of the few people who could criticize Tony Stark and get away with it.

"I dress to impress."

"Don't let Pepper hear that. I think she's still a bit jealous of Romanoff."

"I'm not trying to impress Romanoff."

"Who, then?"

"A certain expert in gamma radiation…"

Her jaw was almost going to drop. "Dr. Banner?"

"Yeah."

She jumped to her feet. "Okay, Dad, we really need to talk about your choice of friends."

"Why? He's a brilliant guy."

"I'm sure he is, but he literally turns into a monster when he gets angry. And you… You're not exactly known for your caution. Besides, what makes you think _he_ wants to be friends with you?"

"I think I'm exactly what he needs in his life."

 _Like I don't have enough to worry about…_ "Fine, but at least try not to say anything too inappropriate. Don't be pushy if he wants to keep his distance. Also, be careful around Captain Rogers. I know your dad compared you to him all the time, and I know that was so not fair, but the guy probably has no idea—"

"Okay, Mom."

She recalled her promise. _No lecturing_. "I'm doing it again, aren't I? Sorry."

He chuckled. "Well, in your defense, Pepper's not around to lecture me, so I forgive you."

"All I'm saying is, don't piss off people who can punch a hole in your armor with their bare hands."

"Capsicle can't punch a hole in my armor… I don't think he can, can he? Perhaps we should test it."

"Crap… I just gave you an idea, didn't I?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, I'll zip it, then."

"Come here." He pulled her into a hug and put a kiss on the top of her head. "Wish me luck."

"Good luck, Dad."

He grabbed a small suitcase and boarded the quinjet. Ana waited until they left. Then her smile faded, and she slammed her hand on the nearest wall in frustration.

"Damn it," she hissed. "JARVIS, activate the Nexus Protocol."

"Nexus Protocol activated… What do you need, Miss Stark?"

"An opportunity to meet Loki of Asgard."

…

The opportunity presented itself while she was still cursing the future Ana for not warning her about Stuttgart. When she received a video call from her dad, she forced herself to smile before answering.

"Hey, Dad! How are you doing? Have you saved the world yet?"

"Are you still in the tower?"

"Yeah, where else would I be?" she asked, confused.

"Get out of there, now!"

"Dad, calm down… Where do you want me to go, and why?"

"Loki's coming, just get out of the city."

Loki was coming. So, that was why she had to be in New York. She had done the right thing by staying put. _Thank you, future self._

"Ana? Did you hear what I just said?"

"Yeah, yeah, I did… Seriously, Dad, calm down. How dangerous is this guy? I thought you captured him in Germany?"

"He escaped, Ana. He… he killed Coulson."

"What?" she cried. Coulson was… dead? She knew he was an agent, and risking his life was a part of the job, but still… Damn, wasn't Loki supposed to be the good guy somehow?

Her dad seemed truly shaken by Coulson's death as well.

"Yeah, now he's going to open a damn portal with the Tesseract and bring his army!"

"I got it, Dad."

"Give me a call once you get out of the city," he said, and thankfully, hung up.

Maybe in this reality, Loki was just an evil bastard, and Ana should run away as fast as she could. But how could she do that? She had been waiting for three years for this meeting.

…

 _Fake it till you make it_ , she reminded herself as she watched Loki and his men's jet land on the pad. Yeah, that would be her motto from now on.

She had to look brave. She couldn't screw this up.

"Hello, Loki," Ana said when he entered the penthouse, and forced herself to approach him. She wasn't sure if Asgardians knew what a handshake was, but she extended her hand anyway. "I'm Ana Stark. I've been expecting you."

In response, Loki simply stared at her as if she was a giant pile of shit.

"The Heiress," he spat. "So, Iron Man was clever enough to figure out I'd come here… Did he not warn you?"

"He did."

"Then why are you still here?"

"Because I'd received another warning, long before your brother visited New Mexico, or even my dad became Iron Man. You see, I've been expecting you _for three years_ , Loki."

His eyes narrowed in confusion. Yep, she definitely had his curiosity now. _So far, so good._

"I received a warning from the future," she went on. "The messenger said you despised Thanos—"

He grabbed her by the throat with one hand and lifted her in the air. "Is this a test?" he snarled, shaking her like a ragdoll. "How do you know that name?"

Ana had never felt so desperate in her life before. Yes, she had been bullied, insulted, and threatened, but her oppressors had been just humans, like herself. In a way, they were her equals. This was… different. She now understood the true meaning of humiliation and fear.

"Let… me… explain," she managed to say.

Loki released her, but Ana didn't have the strength to stand on her feet anymore. She fell down to her knees.

"Tell me everything," Loki demanded, circling around her like a predator.

"What do you want to know?" she asked meekly, not knowing where to start. Her throat still hurt.

"Who was the messenger?"

"Me. My future self."

"You can manipulate time?" he asked. Ana couldn't tell if he was impressed, or disgusted.

"I think I can, in a parallel universe…"

"Where is your future self now?"

"Dead. I don't know what happened to the body."

"What did she tell you?"

"She told me that Thanos had the Infinity Stones, all of them. Whatever that means… And the Earth had been destroyed, the only survivors were the ones Thanos had chosen to adopt. And I had to stop messing with time, because otherwise I'd be stuck in a loop. Instead, I had to build something called the Nexus."

"The Nexus? What's that?"

"I don't know. But I'll find out."

A cruel, evil grin played about his thin lips. "You have your father's arrogance. A small amount of talent in that primitive knowledge you call 'science' makes you think you can oppose gods! I can't wait to see how Thanos will humble you both in the end."

"Wait… Thanos has sent you here, hasn't he? But you don't really want to be here… You fear him. I knew it! Let us help you, Loki. You don't have to do this."

"I do."

"Why?"

The question angered him. After slapping her, he raised the scepter with one hand, and with the other, he grabbed a fistful of Ana's hair and yanked her head back. It was so painful that tears immediately welled up in her eyes. But she was more concerned about the scepter.

"How dare you question me?"

"Oh, no, no, no… Please," she begged, but Loki didn't listen.

The moment the scepter touched her chest, she found herself standing in the middle of a cold, dark desolation. The absolute silence itself was enough to give her shivers.

It wasn't the quiet of peace. It was the quiet of death. There were dead people everywhere. Slowly, she started to make her way among the corpses. Some were rotten, some were burnt, some were dissected.

"I'm so sorry!" she whispered every time her feet accidentally touched a dead person.

And then, she spotted someone she knew. Pepper.

"NOOO!"

Pepper's eyes were open, but she wasn't moving. She looked like she had been mauled by some wild animal. Ana knelt down beside her.

"Pepper? You have to wake up. Please don't die. Dad needs you. I need you. Please!"

"Don't touch her!" someone yelled.

When Ana turned around, she realized it was her dad.

"Dad?"

"Get away from her. This happened because of you!"

"I'd never let anyone hurt Pepper!"

"But you did! And I'm going to kill you for that."

"Dad, I'm your family!"

"My family? _She_ was going to be my family! I never wanted you."

A spear, covered in blood, appeared in his hand. Deep down, Ana knew this wasn't right. Why would a futurist like Tony Stark use such an ancient weapon? But it didn't matter. He was coming to kill her.

Then, Loki appeared out of nowhere, and stabbed him in the heart with his scepter.

"You saved me," Ana whispered, her voice full of awe and gratitude.

…

She was sitting in a chair, with a gun in her hand, when Tony Stark entered the penthouse.

He looked different from how she remembered him. There was no disgust, or hatred in his eyes. Only fear. Loki was talking to him. Good. She was going to let her master deal with that traitor.

But when Loki let him approach her, she moved uncomfortably in her seat. Tony Stark was going to kill her, why was Loki not doing anything to stop him?

"Why is she not talking?" he asked suspiciously. "What have you done to her?"

"She is free to speak," Loki replied. "Tell us, Ana. Who is this man?"

"His name is Tony Stark. He is my father."

"And what does that mean to you?"

"It means nothing to me."

"You bastard," she heard Tony curse under his breath. "I need a drink…" he sighed and went to the bar.

The bar… Ana had left something behind the bar counter for him… Right next to the Colantotte Bracelets… Before Loki's arrival… Why had she done something like that?

Should she tell her master? But it wasn't something that could hurt Loki. There was no need. It could only hurt a weakling like herself. That was the point. Yes, she had done something right. If only she could remember why.

"The Chitauri are coming. Nothing will change that," Loki said impatiently, and turned around to look out the window.

Tony Stark used this opportunity to quickly put on a pair of earpieces, without Loki seeing it. He had found them, apparently.

They kept talking, and in the meantime, he put on the bracelets, but Loki failed to notice that, too. The bracelets could hurt her master. No, not the bracelets themselves, but they could help the Mark VII armor locate Tony. Mark VII could hurt Loki. Suddenly, she was feeling too bewildered to speak.

"Let her go," Tony said. "Ana is not a fighter. She can't help you."

"It's not _her_ help I demand."

"Oh, so you'll promise not to harm her if I help you take over the world? That's the plan? Come on, could you be any more predictable?"

Loki shook his head and raised the scepter once again. "This is not a negotiation."

But when it touched his chest, nothing happened. Loki tried again, and again, but it was simply not working on Tony Stark.

"This usually works."

"Oh, performance issues… Not uncommon. One out of five, actually—"

"ANA!" Loki bellowed. "Come here!"

Ana rose to her feet and went to stand next to him. "Yes?" she asked, ready for his orders.

"Your weapon… Aim it at your father."

The gun was still in her hand. She obeyed.

"I'll let her see it," Loki said, " _After_ she kills you. I'll let her see what she's done to her beloved father. Kill him, Ana."

All of a sudden, there was a buzzing sound. Before she could squeeze the trigger, Ana's muscles seized up, but the blue haze that had been clouding her mind dissolved. Her dad caught her before she fell, and pushed her into the elevator.

"JARVIS, take her to the bunker!"

Ana had no idea what happened in the penthouse after the elevator door was closed.

…

The Sonic Taser hurt like a bitch.

She deserved worse, though.

"JARVIS, deactivate the Nexus Protocol," she commanded as soon as she was able to talk.

"Nexus Protocol deactivated. Good luck, Miss Stark."

"What's going on up there?" she asked, crawling out of the elevator. She still couldn't feel her legs. JARVIS shut the elevator door once she finally got out.

"Dr. Selvig has opened the portal. The Avengers are currently fighting the Chitauri. Mr. Stark has given me very specific orders to keep you safe down here."

"Of course he has…"

He couldn't blame him. Her stupidity was almost going to get him killed.

 _Damn it, Loki, you son of a bitch_.

Loki had refused to give her answers. There was only one thing she knew for sure: The threat was real. Thanos was real. She had seen the fear in his eyes.

She just sat there and waited. She didn't know how much time had passed when JARVIS spoke again. "You have an incoming call from Princess Shuri…"

"I'm still allowed to talk to my friends, JARVIS, right?"

"Of course."

"Ana?" Shuri cried.

"Hey," she greeted her wearily. She hadn't had enough time to fully furnish the bunker—she hadn't thought it would be needed so soon—but thankfully she had installed a phone line at least.

"Are you okay? What's going on there?"

"Wait, how do you know?"

"For Bast's sake, are you kidding me? It is all over the international news! There is a portal just above the Stark Tower, and aliens are pouring out of it! Are you safe?"

"I'm stuck in a bunker. Do you have any ideas to shut down that portal?"

"Maybe, but I need more data. I thought you could help me with that. Can you go up there? This might be a good time to stop being a pussy and try out one of your father's suits, you know…"

"No, Mark VII is the only functional suit we have here right now. Besides, I've already caused enough trouble today. I think I should stay put."

"Why?"

"My dad had told me to leave before the battle started, but I didn't listen. I—I was almost going to kill him, Shuri! I _tried_ to kill him!"

"What? How? I don't understand, why would you try to kill your father?"

"Loki, the leader of those aliens, he can control minds with some sort of scepter. He was going to make me kill him!"

She gasped. "But you didn't… You didn't hurt him, right?"

"No, I had a contingency plan. I was hoping my chat with Loki would take a more civilized turn, but, well... It didn't."

"Damn, girl… Did you really think you could talk that Loki guy out of this?" she scolded her.

"Yeah, still think I'm a pussy?" she teased. If this was their last conversation, she didn't want it to be too grim.

"Look, Ana, if the portal remains open, this will only get worse. The bunker won't keep them out forever. You must leave."

"It's not safe out there."

"Take my car. It is still in your garage, right?"

"Your car?"

She could now hear someone speaking Xhosa in the background. He sounded angry, but Shuri ignored him.

"It's made of vibranium!" she blurted out.

"What? All of it?"

"Yes!"

"I thought Wakanda didn't have any Vibranium left…"

" _You weren't supposed to tell her, sister!"_ the man said, this time in English. _"Not yet!"_

" _I'm not going to let my friend die!"_

" _Fine! But from now on, she is your responsibility!"_

Ana's day was just getting weirder and weirder.

"Miss Stark, your father is on the line."

"What? Put him through, JARVIS. I'm sorry, Shuri, I'll call you back as soon as I can."

"Okay. Be safe."

"Hey, kid," her dad said. "How are you doing?"

"Dad!" she cried. "Dad, I'm so sorry! I should've listened to you. I should've—"

"It's okay, kid. It's okay, really. You tricked the trickster, I'm proud of you. So proud that I'm not even going to ask how on earth you got your hands on a Sonic Taser…"

Ana laughed. He was definitely going to demand an explanation later. "How about you? Do you guys have a plan?"

"Yeah, Romanoff is about to close the portal."

"Oh, thank goodness…"

"First, I need to put something in there, though."

Something was wrong. She could feel it. "What kind of thing?"

"A missile."

"A missile?"

"A nuclear missile. One hell of a day, huh?"

Were they having this conversation while he was carrying a nuke on his back? Ana didn't think she should be worried about Thanos anymore. The stress was probably going to kill her long before Thanos decided to visit this planet himself.

"Ana? Talk to me!"

"Who sent it?"

"The World Security Council."

"Idiots…"

"I know, right? Look, I've been trying to reach Pepper, too, but she's not answering her phone, so if I don't come back—"

"Don't say that!" she cried.

"If I don't come back," he repeated firmly, "You girls take good care of each other, okay?"

"Okay," she said, but she wasn't sure how she was still able to speak. "I love you, Dad."

"I love you more."

The call ended.

"JARVIS? JARVIS, is he okay?"

"I'm sorry, miss. The connection is lost."

"Take me to the penthouse!"

"Miss Stark, my orders were—"

"Take me to the penthouse, now!"

Without a word, JARVIS opened the elevator door and took her to the penthouse. It probably hadn't taken more than 30 seconds, but to Ana, it had felt like 30 lifetimes.

She chose to ignore the severely injured Loki lying on the floor and headed straight to the balcony, where Agent Romanoff stood with the scepter in her hand. She had… She had used it to close the portal.

But she was smiling. Her smile disappeared when she saw Ana, though, and for a split second, she seemed ready to attack her. But her face softened when Ana raised her hands to show that she wasn't under Loki's influence anymore.

"Did he make it?"

"See for yourself," she said, pointing at someone falling out of the sky.

He was _falling_ , though, not flying. The energy surges of the portal must have fried the circuits by now. Probably even the emergency back up.

"He's lost power! Can you guys help him?" she asked Romanoff.

"Thor?" Romanoff asked through the com, but it was someone else who had caught him in mid-air. Someone big and green. And Ana had thought Dr. Banner would only cause more trouble…

She then remembered Loki was still there.

"ASSHOLE!" she yelled, as she swung the door open and strode towards him. "I HATE YOU!"

She kicked him with all the strength she had, over and over again, until Agent Romanoff finally stopped her. Ana had never known such anger before. Three years. Had she waited for three freaking years for this guy?

"Hey," Romanoff said softly. "If this guy survived the Hulk, I don't think there's anything you can do to hurt him."

"Oh, I don't know, I have a few ideas…"

She smiled. "I'm sure you do. Your dad's alive, by the way. They'll be here soon."

That helped her come back to her senses. If she refused to cooperate, Romanoff could easily knock her out and tie her to a chair or something. "Thanks…"

The elevator dinged, sooner than she had expected, but it was only another SHIELD agent. An archer. "Natasha!"

"Hi, Clint."

"So, it's over, then," he said, panting, and looking at the mess around them.

"I think it is."

"And that son of a bitch?"

"Still alive. Feel free to use him as a punching bag."

"Yeah, I'm sure there's going to be a line."

"Well, Ms. Stark here has already had her turn," she said, with a vague smirk.

He turned to Ana. "Ah, you must be the one Nat recommended to Fury. I'm Agent Barton."

Apparently, being recommended by the Black Widow herself was kind of a big deal in SHIELD. Ana was going to keep that in mind.

They shook hands. "Nice to meet you, Agent Barton."

"Hawkeye!" someone called.

"Dr. Selvig! Do you need medical attention?"

Right, Dr. Selvig… Ana had forgotten about the poor guy.

"No, no… I'm okay. I'm just… tired." He swayed a little. He definitely didn't seem okay.

"Come, Dr. Selvig. Let's take you to the infirmary, you can get some rest there," Ana said dutifully and gently grabbed him by the arm.

This was still her tower, and now these people were her guests.

…

 _Fake it till you make it. Let's give this another try._

She had tried playing the good cop, and it hadn't worked. Now it was time to be the bad cop.

Yes, she could do it. She could pretend to be someone intimidating. In fact, she didn't even have to fake it at all. She did have something that could kill Loki. She had nothing to fear.

They had decided to keep Loki in the bunker until Dr. Selvig built a device that would channel the Tesseract's power into a portal to Asgard. Iron Man and Hawkeye weren't very happy about this arrangement. They both wanted to see Loki's head on a spike. No one was sure how Romanoff had handled the latter, but it had been easy for Ana and Pepper to talk Tony out of doing anything reckless. Then, Rhodey had returned from his mission in Hong Kong, seen the bruises on Ana's neck, found out about the mind control thing, and the two girls had to go through it all over again.

Ana had come down to the bunker while everyone else in the tower was asleep.

She found him shackled to a chair, and muzzled. It was such a satisfying sight.

"Remember me, asshole?"

She closed the door, then set up the tripod and the camera she had brought.

"Proof," she explained as she started recording. "If something happens to me before I find out how to stop the big bad evil Thanos, I need to leave proof behind, so that the others won't have to start from scratch. This is basically how our _primitive_ science works."

She then took out a screwdriver from her bag. Loki moved uncomfortably.

"Oh, this is just to get rid of that muzzle… I'm not going to torture you or anything," she said, then started tinkering with the strange Asgardian contraption.

"Geez, how complicated can a gag possibly be?"

This was probably not helping her look intimidating at all, but she wanted to take her time and be careful. If she broke the damn thing, Thor would get suspicious.

When she finally managed to unfasten the muzzle, Loki seemed less uncomfortable. But he was clearly still too proud to thank her.

"You're welcome, I guess," she said, toying with the muzzle.

"Have you come here to gloat, girl?" he snarled.

"Why would I do that?"

"I lost."

"Did you?"

"What?"

"You know, for the world's first alien would-be dictator, you actually did such a sloppy job that I wonder if you were trying to win at all."

"Sloppy?" he scoffed. "What do you even remember?"

"Oh, I remember everything. I was literally yours to command, for hours. Now I don't know much about being a supervillain, but you could've forced me to do… practically anything. You could've forced me to hurt myself to make my dad betray his team. You could've forced me to tell you all the tricks he had up in his sleeve. And don't even get me started on that vision your scepter showed me!"

"Why?"

She snorted. "Tony Stark wielding a spear? Come on!"

"It was enough to break you… Enough to make you doubt your own flesh and blood."

"I disagree. I think, that little trick was a projection of _your_ daddy issues, not mine. You see, I did my homework. Gungnir, right? That's the name of Odin's spear? And I bet you made similar mistakes with the visions you showed Dr. Selvig and Agent Barton. That's how we were all able to resist you to some degree. Like I said, _sloppy_."

Loki's eyes blazed with fury, and he hissed in a language Ana couldn't understand.

"I don't speak Parseltongue."

"What?"

She rolled her eyes. What had made her think he would get the reference?

"I'm getting tired of this, girl. What do you want?"

"You know what I want."

"I won't tell you anything. There is nothing you can do to change that."

"There is one thing, actually," she said and took out an item from her bag. "I couldn't sleep last night. Not at all. I was almost going to kill my dad because of you. I was pointing a loaded gun at him, I just can't stop thinking about it. And Coulson… That man deserved better. So, I had a little stroll around the city, and found this."

She placed the piece of scrap metal she had taken from a Chitauri armor on the table for him to see.

"I studied it. I wanted to understand what made Thanos so dangerous, I guess… But when I analyzed the atomic structure of the material, I realized it was actually pretty easy to replicate. So, I made something."

She pulled out the gun and pressed the barrel against his temple. Loki wasn't the only one who had run out of patience.

"I know regular bullets can't hurt you, but I bet the ones in this can put a hole in that thick skull of yours… So, you're going to tell me everything about Thanos."

She had thought it would be enough to scare him, but he simply grinned. "Oh, now I see why Thanos might want to adopt you after all… There is darkness in you, Ana Stark."

"Cut the crap, Loki!"

"Please, Ana… We both know you're not going to fire that weapon."

She pressed the barrel harder. "You don't know anything."

"I know Thor still considers me his brother. And if someone hurt his brother… Oh, I don't think he would be pleased at all. I'm sure your father would do everything in his power to protect you from Thor's wrath, but…"

Ana lowered the gun. Loki was calling her bluff. He had a point. What was she thinking? She probably shouldn't even have come down here. Once again, she had bitten more than she could chew.

"You hate Thanos," she said desperately. "Why are you protecting someone you hate?"

"I'm only protecting myself. When Thanos comes, I'll be safe in the dungeons of Asgard, and let our great warriors deal with him."

"What if your great warriors fail?"

"Save your breath. I will not defy Thanos to defend a mortal. I was giving you the only mercy I could when I commanded you to kill your father, foolish girl! One day, you'll wish you had pulled that trigger. It was your father who destroyed the Sanctuary. Thanos won't forget that. He will come for him, and everyone he loves. If he chooses to adopt you, you will watch your father die screaming. If not, your father will watch you die screaming first."

 _No_ , she thought. _That won't be my future_. Now Loki was just taunting her.

She took the gun, the scrap metal, and the screwdriver, and put them back in the bag. Then she picked up the muzzle.

"Wait!" Loki said suddenly.

"What?"

"I wouldn't defy Thanos to defend a mortal, but I know someone who would."

"Thor, you mean?" she asked. "Do you think I should ask Thor?"

Well, Thor seemed to like her. All she had done was to tell JARVIS to do a health scan and make sure Dr. Selvig didn't have any concussion or internal bleeding, then she had given him some food, water, a bed, and a pep talk. She just couldn't help but empathize with the poor guy. They both had been enslaved by a force beyond their comprehension. Later, Thor had come to her and said he was now in her debt for what she had done for his friend.

"No, Thor is a fool. My wife, Sigyn, on the other hand… She can help you."

"Your wife?" she cried. This was getting ridiculous. "Do I have to go to Asgard now?"

"You don't have to go to Asgard. She has been in this realm for decades."

Ana was confused. Why did his wife—probably another Asgardian—live among humans?

"Agent Barton found her for me," he went on. "I can tell you where she dwells."

"A bit of a stalker, are we?" Ana opened the navigation app on her phone and typed the address he gave her. Apparently, Ana was going to visit Norway after all. Not the NEXUS Hub, but a town called Tonsberg.

"Is this the right place?" she asked, showing him the satellite images of the house.

Loki nodded.

Ana shot him a skeptical look. "If this is some kind of game…"

"…I have nothing to lose," he said with a mischievous smirk.

Frustrated, she put the muzzle back on his mouth, took her bag, turned off the camera, shouldered the tripod and walked out of the bunker.


	6. Chapter 6

After the Battle of New York, the heroes had gone their separate ways. So, Ana didn't really understand why the Stark Tower should become the Avengers Tower instead. But it was what Tony Stark himself wanted, so they were all going along with it. Thor had returned to Asgard with Loki, Romanoff and Barton already worked for SHIELD, Captain Rogers was going to join SHIELD as well. Only Dr. Banner had officially been hired by Stark Industries. Even her dad and Pepper had returned to Malibu after they helped Dr. Banner get adjusted to the life in New York, leaving Ana in charge of the building once again. Not that Ana complained. He acted like it was no big deal, but Dr. Banner had beaten the shit out of Loki, and saved her dad's life. Best. Neighbor. Ever.

But once the dust settled, Ana realized what Loki and his scepter had done had affected her more deeply than she thought. It had broken something within her. She couldn't even find the courage to go to Norway.

" _I can't wait to see how Thanos will humble you both in the end."_

" _There is darkness in you, Ana Stark."_

" _If he chooses to adopt you, you will watch your father die screaming. If not, your father will watch you die screaming first."_

She had been avoiding Shuri as well. She must have broken some rules by telling her about the vibranium car. But one evening, Shuri came to see her, saying they needed to talk. She had even brought cupcakes, and Ana decided to open up a bottle of wine. One of those ancient ones Pepper saved for special occasions, but who cared, right? Half an hour later, Ana was one of the few outsiders who knew that Wakanda was anything but a poor third-world country, and Shuri had to pretend to be the spoiled daughter of an African dictator to protect her nation's secrets.

Ana didn't care how much vibranium they had, or how advanced their tech was. All she wanted to know was how much trouble Shuri was in now because of her.

"Your brother said I was your responsibility. What does that mean?" she asked.

"It means if you, as an outsider, ever betray Wakanda, I'm going to have to deal with you myself," she replied in a serious voice, but then burst into laughter. Yeah, they were both getting drunk.

"Why did you choose to trust me? Don't get me wrong, I'm flattered, but still…"

"You passed the test. With flying colors."

"What test?"

She crossed her arms. "Why do you think I left a vibranium car in your garage? And why do you think I let you and your dad see my jet? You knew I was hiding something, but you didn't even touch the car while I was gone. If you had, I would know."

"So, you did it on purpose… To see if I could be trusted."

"I knew you would pass, but…"

"Your family insisted. Okay. You say I passed the test. Now what?"

"Now, I can ask you about your scrapped researched on quantum physics."

"Time-traveling," she mumbled. "Did you read it?"

"I did. So did my brother. Especially the part where you said why premonition might not be impossible. If Einstein is right, and time is an illusion—AKA the fourth dimension—then what is known as premonition, or foresight, is simply a glitch, right? A temporary failure in that illusion?"

Yeah, Ana remembered that chapter, but now she couldn't help but feel a bit betrayed. She really cared about Shuri as a friend, but was she only interested in her scrapped research? Was that why she had approached her?

"You could've just sent me an e-mail, you know," she said bitterly.

"I'm sorry. I value our friendship, that's why I have decided to tell you the truth. But this is more than a scientific curiosity, Ana. This is personal. For both of us."

Her mouth went dry. _She knows. How?_ "W-What do you mean by personal?"

"In Wakanda, there is a sacred cave. I went into that cave once, when I was a little girl. And I saw something. A vision."

"What did you see?"

"The future. We were survivors, but also slaves."

Maybe Ana had become so paranoid that she was imagining connections everywhere. Or maybe, she wasn't. _"The only survivors are the ones Thanos chose to adopt."_ Could Shuri be one of them? Okay, maybe she wasn't so paranoid after all. Maybe "adoption" was just a euphemism for "slavery."

"And why is this personal for both of us?" she asked warily, not sure if she wanted to hear the answer.

"Because you were in that vision as well."

Ana remained silent.

"You don't seem shocked," Shuri observed calmly.

"No…"

"I need you to tell me if you really believe the future is inevitable, Ana."

 _Inevitable_. That word again. Her worst nightmare. No, this couldn't be a coincidence. She was so close to a mental breakdown.

"That research was far from complete," she said frantically. "There's another possibility. The multiverse theory."

"An infinite number of parallel universes? Can it explain my vision?"

"It can. Maybe your sacred cave is an intersection point between those universes. What you saw, will never be _our_ reality."

"At this point, it's just speculation, though. We need proof."

"What if I told you we had proof?"

"What?"

There was one last question she needed to ask her before doing this. "You said your brother read my research as well. Does he know? About your vision?"

She smiled. "Of course. I don't keep secrets from my family. _Baba_ always says lies weaken the family."

Maybe she should take a page from Shuri's book and stop being so secretive about the time-traveler. She had already told Loki. She might as well tell her only friend. At least she was drunk enough to do this.

"JARVIS, activate the Nexus Protocol."

"Nexus Protocol activated. What do you need, Miss Stark?" JARVIS asked obediently.

"What is the Nexus Protocol?"

"A dormant protocol to help me keep some secrets. I hid the code in the mainframe and broke it down into hundreds of small fragments. Only two things can activate it: My voice, or my confirmed death."

"What if someone imitates your voice?"

She rolled her eyes. "JARVIS is smarter than that."

"Thank you, Miss Stark."

Shuri giggled. "What exactly is JARVIS, anyway? He's too sassy to be a simple UI."

"Well, JARVIS was indeed just a natural language UI at first, but I'm not sure what he is anymore. I think he is… _evolving_ , you know what I mean?"

"He seems to have a… personality. I've never seen anything like this."

"Cognitive calibration," she explained. "My dad cracks like a hundred jokes per hour, so JARVIS has a pretty solid foundation to learn from."

"Well, I suppose that's the problem. I'm the only royal with a real sense of humor."

"That sounds lonely."

"I don't know, secret dormant protocols sound lonelier to me."

"Yeah, about that…"

She didn't know where to start, so she just let her watch the videos instead. First, the warning from the future, then her first meeting with Loki in the penthouse, and finally, Loki's interrogation.

Either Shuri had the best poker face in the world, or she had expected to see something like this.

"Say something," Ana finally begged her. "Did you know about this? You don't seem shocked either."

"When I heard that your research had been scrapped, I suspected you were afraid of something. I just didn't know what it was. Does your dad know?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I should've told him, right? But I… I didn't want to scare him."

"You know, at some point, you'll have to tell him."

"I know. How old were you? When you saw that vision?"

"Six."

"Shit… And I thought _I_ was having it rough."

Shuri chuckled mirthlessly.

"I'm going to tell him. But everything is so… vague now. If I'm to tell him that Thanos is coming for him and everyone he cares about, I must give him more than just a name. Otherwise, the uncertainty will drive him crazy."

"Is this why you want to join SHIELD? Do you think they can help you find something?"

"I feel like we're going to need their help one day."

She nodded. "You should tell that to my brother. He wasn't very happy when he found out you were having a Ph.D to enter their academy."

"He doesn't trust them, I see."

"SHIELD approached us in the past."

"What did they want?"

"I don't know. _Baba_ said they had come to a mutual understanding. But T'Challa has never been one for diplomacy."

Ana sighed. This was madness. Yet somehow, it all felt… connected.

Suddenly, Shuri grinned, as if she had come up with an idea. "That interrogation, though… It was so badass!"

"Are you kidding me? I totally screwed it up!"

"No! Loki gave you a name, didn't he? That means you did something right."

"Sigyn…"

"We have to find her."

"We? Together?"

"Do I really need to say it? We're in this together."

"Is she even going to help us?"

"Oh, I know she will."

"Why?"

"Because if she is who I think she is…. She was in my vision, too."

Ana smiled reluctantly. There was no such thing as coincidence, indeed. At least not in their lives. "Tonsberg it is, then."

…

There were very few pilots with whom Ana felt truly safe during a flight, and Shuri was one of them. She now had a different concern, though. What if they got caught in the Norwegian airspace by the authorities? As a member of the Wakandan royal family, Shuri probably had diplomatic immunity, but Ana would have to call one of the Stark Industries lawyers. Then, she was going to have to explain what the hell she was doing here as an illegal visitor.

But both Ana and Shuri had agreed that they couldn't come here as tourists. Or rather, the former had insisted that they couldn't come here as tourists. If they were wrong about Sigyn, they might have to run fast. Plus, they couldn't go anywhere near the airport security with all the guns they had brought with them.

Thanks to the Wakandan stealth tech, none of her fears came true, though, and they landed on an empty field, not too far from the town where Sigyn lived. The jet would remain invisible while they were gone, but Shuri's vibranium car wasn't exactly helping them keep a low profile. But neither of them owned a car that would help them keep a low profile, so instead of buying a cheap throwaway one, they had decided to bring the fastest, and the strongest one they had.

After about half an hour of driving, Shuri finally stopped in front of the address Loki had given Ana.

"Let's do this," Ana said, clicking the safety off her gun.

"Will that be really necessary?"

Ana shrugged. "Hopefully not. Look, I know you think she's going to welcome us with open arms, but what kind of decent person would tie the knot with a homicidal maniac?"

"Better safe than sorry," she agreed, and readied her own gun. "Do you still have those Chitauri metal replica bullets?"

"Yep. Would you like some?"

"I got vibranium."

Right. Ana rolled her eyes. "Show-off…"

"Why don't you show those to your dad? I'm sure he'd be proud of you."

"You know it's illegal to experiment with alien stuff without government approval, right? Dad would freak out if he knew."

After the Battle of New York, Stark Industries and the government had purchased Damage Control, and they were now making sure no alien artifact would fall into the wrong hands. And Ana Stark, the CTO of Stark Industries, was secretly designing weapons based on said artifacts. Talk about hypocrisy…

They hid their guns under their jackets, and got out of the car. The plan was to make an amiable first impression, but like Shuri said, better safe than sorry.

Ana knocked on the door, and waited. She could hear the faint music coming from inside the house. She didn't understand the lyrics, but it sounded like a Viking song. A really sad one. A requiem, maybe?

The door was finally answered, by the most beautiful woman Ana had ever seen. The slender young woman's golden-blonde hair had been tied into a messy bun, she was only wearing a wrinkled old t-shirt and a pair of yoga pants, and the look in her mesmerizingly blue eyes somehow explained the sad Viking song she had been listening to, but she was still the most beautiful woman Ana had ever seen.

 _Yep, definitely a goddess…_

"Good afternoon," Ana started. "Sorry to bother you, but we were, uhm… We wanted to—"

"Come inside," Sigyn simply said.

"Were you expecting us?"

"I was expecting a visitor after what happened in New York. Just… not Howard's granddaughter."

Ana and Shuri exchanged confused looks. Sigyn turned her back and gestured them to follow her.

"Did you know my grandfather?" Ana then asked Sigyn as the latter led them into a living room. It had been decorated in a modern, but also modest and cozy fashion. For an alien, she seemed well-adjusted to the life on this planet. But then, Loki had said she had been here for decades.

"He was a good friend of mine. As was Peggy… This realm used to be a simpler one back then. Now, nothing is ever going to be the same."

Howard Stark, and Peggy Carter… The founders of SHIELD. Ana wondered if there was a secret third founder.

"Your name is Sigyn, right?"

"Yes. And I assume you're here to learn more about your mother?"

Ana froze. She hadn't thought much about her mother, not after scrapping the time-travel project. Giving up on answers about her had seemed like a small price to pay to save the world. But now, for some reason, Sigyn thought this visit had something to do with her.

"Please, have a seat."

Not knowing what else to do, she obeyed. So did Shuri. She was still uncharacteristically quiet, but she wrapped an arm around Ana's shoulders.

"Coffee, or tea?"

"No, thanks," Ana murmured. She didn't think she could drink anything right now. Shuri shook her head as well.

"Loki." Sigyn sucked in a sharp breath before continuing. "My husband has always been one for mischief… I don't know what he told you, but I did what I did to pay my debt of gratitude to Howard."

"Wait… You're not my mother, are you?" If Sigyn had cheated on Loki with Tony Stark, that would explain why Loki loathed him—and humans in general—so much.

"If you had Aesir blood in your veins, you would know it. And I'm still faithful to my husband." Her voice was full of disgust now, which actually reminded Ana of Loki.

She decided to play nice. "Sorry. I meant no offense, of course."

"Look, Irene had no right to hide a child from her father. I had to do something about it."

"I—I don't understand. Who is Irene?"

"Irene Clarke. Your mother."

 _Irene Clarke_. After 20 years, Ana finally had a name.

"Tony and Irene were both studying at Cambridge. That's how they met."

"Was she just a one-night stand, or…"

"I don't know the details of the… affair. I took you from the hospital after her death. She was already ill by the time you were conceived… Stage four breast cancer. She died three weeks after your birth."

"How come does my father not know about this? Didn't she try to contact him?"

" _Contact him_? She was too proud. Too proud to admit that she had been seduced by a playboy, and then left with a broken heart. She was hoping Tony would never know he had a daughter. That would've been Irene's posthumous revenge."

"So, it was _you_ who left me on my dad's doorstep…"

"Yes. You were born in London. After I took you to your father, I tracked down everyone who knew about you, and erased their memories."

"Why did you do that?"

"To make sure Tony could raise you in peace. Anyway, what else do you want to know about your mother?"

"Nothing," she blurted out, and felt Shuri's arm tighten around her. Maybe she was going to regret this decision later, but right now, it was what she wanted.

"Are you sure?"

Her breathing had become rigged. _Focus_ , she reminded herself. _Focus on what really matters_.

"I wasn't here for my mother," Ana then admitted. It helped.

"Why, then?"

"Loki said you could help us defeat Thanos."

A look of horror crossed Sigyn's face.

"You know what I'm talking about," Ana observed.

She let out an exasperated sigh. "What do you want from me?"

"We were hoping you could tell us what the Nexus is."

"I don't know what that is," she said, and Ana believed her.

"It has something to do with the Infinity Stones."

Her eyes widened, and she jumped to her feet. "Get out," she hissed.

Ana and Shuri stood up as well. "Please," Ana begged. "You said you owed Howard Stark a debt."

"And I paid that debt when I took you to your father. That was the last time I meddled in mortal affairs! Perhaps I shouldn't have done even that. My duty was to guard the Tesseract, not the Starks!"

"You were in my vision!" Shuri finally spoke. "You were helping us send Ana back in time and stop Thanos!"

"You are not ready!" Suddenly, a double-bladed sword materialized in her hand, and she pointed it at them. Ana and Shuri both took out their own guns.

"I'd warned Fury about the Tesseract," Sigyn went on. "He didn't listen to me, and look what happened in New York!"

"You're going to regret this!" Shuri was furious. For a moment, Ana thought she would really pull that trigger. "I know what Thanos will make you do."

"So do I," Sigyn said solemnly. "But I'll never trust mortals again. Take your friend, and leave in peace now, Ana Stark. I'm giving you one last chance, for Howard's sake."

"Okay," Ana said, and lowered her gun. "Come on, Shuri. Let's go."

After Shuri, too, lowered her gun, the sword in Sigyn's hand disappeared. Ana gently grabbed Shuri by the arm and led her out of the house.

"BITCH!" Shuri shouted one last time, when they were still on Sigyn's porch, and a couple of people in the street turned to look at them. But the Asgardian simply ignored the insult, and shut the door.

"I'll drive," Ana suggested. Shuri was still shaking.

…

"Well, your Asgardian fairy godmother was a dead end," Shuri, who had calmed down significantly by the time they returned to the jet, sighed.

"Oh, we're not calling her my fairy godmother…"

Shuri was right. Sigyn was an arrogant, self-righteous bitch. And yet, deep down, Ana couldn't help but feel immensely grateful for what Sigyn had done for her. She couldn't even imagine what it would have been like to grow up without her dad. Not because he had spoiled her with expensive gifts, or not even because he had taught her how to use her genius, no. It was because they had always been each other's biggest supporter. When your mind had the potential to change the world, it was hard to tell who truly cared about you and who only saw you as a golden goose. She had never had that dilemma with him. Some people called Ana the Heiress, but he had never tried to shape her into the perfect heir to his empire. He had never forced her to be someone she didn't want to be. He had only taught her because he knew science made her happy. Studying at MIT, working at Stark Industries, preparing to join SHIELD… These had been her choices.

"Do you want to talk about your mother?"

"No," she said firmly. "That woman was almost going to ruin my life for her petty posthumous revenge. As far as I'm concerned, I don't have a mother. That's the only way I can get back at her."

Maybe Loki was right. Maybe there was some darkness in her. At first, she had thought the scepter had broken her, but no. It had _unlocked_ something within her, she could see that now.

"Okay… What now? I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm actually out of ideas."

"Shuri," she said softly, "Who else was in your vision?"

"Just the three of us."

"And what exactly happened in that vision?" She had never asked her before. But now, she had to. "You don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to," she added quickly.

"No, it's okay. We were on a spaceship, trapped in a room. Sigyn was casting a spell on you. An illusion spell, to make sure you looked like your 17-year-old self again. We were trying to send you back in time to fix things. You were trying to open a portal, but we knew Thanos was coming for us. There wasn't enough time. Then I decided to buy you some time, you tried to stop me, and…"

"And?"

"And I said I had already died when Thanos killed my brother. Sigyn said she, too, had died when Thanos made her kill Loki. We were ready to sacrifice ourselves. But you said it wasn't fair, because your death was going to be much quicker compared to ours. The next thing I remember was waking up crying in T'Challa's arms."

" _Terrible sacrifices have been made, just to make sure I get to deliver this message_." Ana shuddered. "I'm sorry."

She took a deep breath, then smiled. "Hey, remember what you said? That won't be _our_ reality. _If_ we act, of course… So, let's try to come up with something on the way back to New York, okay?"

She turned back around in the pilot's seat and started preparing for the take-off. Without a word, Ana fastened her own seatbelt in the co-pilot's seat and closed her eyes. As an engineer, she knew the riskiest parts of the flight was the first and the last few minutes. Once the jet was switched to autopilot, she opened her eyes. Of course, she could still think of a hundred different things that could go wrong while they were in the air. A bird in the engines, a disintegrating fan blade, metal fatigue, a simple glitch in the navigation systems…

"I bet SHIELD knows about Sigyn," Shuri said, spinning around in her seat to face Ana again.

 _Probably_. Sigyn had said something about Fury… And guarding the Tesseract. This had to be in the SHIELD files. Ana unfastened her seatbelt, and went to fetch her laptop. She didn't think she could wait until she joined SHIELD and had a clearance level high enough to find out.

"What are you doing?"

"Hacking into SHIELD."

"Look, I like this rebellious version of yours, but are you sure this is a good idea? They'll probably figure out it's you."

"They won't… I'll make sure it looks like the Rising Tide."

"The Rising Tide?"

"Never heard of them?"

"Nope. Who are they?"

"A bunch of hackers and conspiracy theorists. Only, their videos aren't fake. One of them even tried to hack the Stark Industries Central Database once."

The last part seemed to pique Shuri's interest even more. "How did it go?"

She shot her a smug look. "Do you really need to ask? She was good, though. I had to reboot the systems in the end."

"She?"

"The alias was 'Skye.' Sounds like a girl name to me."

In the meantime, Ana had been able to hack the Triskelion's servers. It wasn't going to take long until someone realized she was there and locked her out. But she was able to download everything on the Tesseract before that happened. She had also tried to find anything related to Sigyn, but there was nothing.

Unfortunately, the files she had downloaded didn't mention Sigyn, or any other guardian either. There wasn't anything they didn't already know in those files.

"This doesn't make any sense," Shuri said. "Sigyn clearly knew Director Fury!"

"The thing is, SHIELD is Fury, but Fury is not SHIELD. My dad says his secrets have secrets."

"And Sigyn is one of those secrets?"

Ana shrugged. She couldn't think of any other explanation.

"Do you think we should go to Fury now? Do you trust that guy?"

"I'm not sure. But I think he cares about us. I mean, his life would've probably been much easier if he'd just let my dad die of palladium poisoning, but he did everything he could to save him."

"Okay. What are you going to do?"

"I'll do what I do best. I'll go to the Academy, play by the rules, earn his trust, and be a part of his inner circle. That should give me access to some of his secrets."

"Sounds like a long-shot."

"How much time do you think we have?"

"I wish I knew. But you and I looked older in that vision than we are now. Like, in our mid-thirties. At least before Sigyn gave you a magic botox. That explains how the future you fooled Obadiah Stane and saved your life."

Shuri was right. Stane would have been able to tell the difference if her future self had looked like in her mid-thirties.

"Okay, fine… So, we have more than ten years. That doesn't sound so bad."

"Yeah, but how can we know when exactly we were _adopted_?"

"Right," she had to admit. She had been too optimistic.

"Well, I think I'll go back to Wakanda."

"What?" she cried. "Why?"

"I don't have access to all of Wakanda's resources in New York."

"What about your Ph.D?"

"Ana, I didn't come to New York to have a Ph.D. I came to meet you. But before I leave America, I want you to take me to Disneyland first. You promised me, remember?"

Ana blinked a few times, trying to understand if she was serious. "We're trying to save the world from an evil alien mastermind, and you want to go to Disneyland?"

"I don't see why we can't do both."

Ana had different priorities. "Fine, I'll take you to Disneyland. But once you return to Wakanda, we're going to need a private, secure server for our conversations."

"That's easy. Are you going to tell your dad?"

"I think I will, yeah. I've officially run out of excuses."

"Good, because T'Challa wants to work with him."

"Really? I thought he didn't trust outsiders."

"I've finally convinced him to make an exception for the Starks. He has a suit, too, you know."

"So, he's another superhero? Lovely… What do you call him, Vibranium Man?"

Shuri rolled her eyes. "The suit itself is called the Panther Habit. The Black Panther has been the protector of Wakanda for generations. It's more like a mantle, passed from warrior to warrior. My father was the Black Panther in his youth, but he decided to retire a few years ago, and let T'Challa take over. So, now it's his duty to protect Wakanda."

"Wow… That sounds deep," she said thoughtfully.

" _Vibranium Man_ ," Shuri repeated, snickering. "T'Challa needs to hear that one."

"Oh, please don't!" she begged her, but knowing Shuri, she was pretty sure her ignorance would soon become an inside joke among the Wakandan royal family.

"You're afraid of my brother," she observed.

"Well, he sounds like an overprotective big brother…"

"That's why he and Mr. Stark will get along just fine."

…

Ana was back at the Stark Tower by three in the morning, but she didn't think she could sleep, knowing that she was going to have to talk to her dad in only a few hours.

"JARVIS, let me know when my dad wakes up."

"Mr. Stark is actually awake."

"Really?" she cried. She had thought she would have at least a few hours to prepare herself, but now, she couldn't delay this any further, or she was going to chicken out. She couldn't do that. Shuri and her brother were relying on her for the next step.

 _It's now or never, Ana._ "Call him, JARVIS."

Five seconds later, she heard his voice. "Hey, kid. How are you doing?"

"I'm fine," she lied. "What about you?"

"Pepper has officially moved in. Everything's great… You don't usually stay up this late, is something wrong?"

"No, nothing is wrong. I was just wondering if we could talk, face to face."

He remained silent for a while. "Uhm, is it urgent?"

"Yeah, it kind of is."

"JARVIS, is Midas ready?" he asked, but for some reason, Ana couldn't hear JARVIS' reply. "Ana, give me thirty minutes, okay?"

"Dad, it's not _that_ urgent." If he wanted to be here in half an hour, he needed to fly at supersonic speed.

"Too bad, you already said it is," he said and hung up. Ana went up to the penthouse and started waiting for him.

Indeed, half an hour later, a new Iron Man suit painted in gold landed on the balcony. Well, at least that explained why it was called Midas… Some pieces of the suit seemed to be missing, though.

When the suit opened up and her dad stepped out of it, she immediately realized that something was wrong with him. Mostly because he was trying too hard not to look like a mess.

"Mark _21_?" she asked, inspecting the suit.

"Yeah, it was designed for supersonic flight, it's perfect for situations like this."

"And is it supposed to be breaking apart at supersonic speeds?"

He ruffled her hair. "Smartass…"

To her surprise, instead of heading straight to the bar, he flung himself down on a couch. Ana joined him.

"Maybe you should take a break, Dad."

"From what? Making suits?"

"Yeah. One perfectly functional suit is better than a dozen crappy ones."

"I can't."

"Why not? Has someone threatened you again?" They had no shortage of enemies.

"No, it's not that. It's just… Whatever. I'm here for you, just tell me what's going on."

Okay, she had promised herself not to delay this any further, but… This was clearly not a good time. "First, _you_ tell me what's going on."

He hesitated for a second, then jumped to his feet and began pacing up and down frantically. "Do you remember what you said when you first heard about Loki? About gods, and magic? You were right! You were right, kid, and I was wrong."

"Look, I know I should've left the tower. You'd warned me. It's not your fault that I didn't listen."

"No, you stayed here because I'd told you to study and understand the threat. You did exactly what you were told to do! That's on me."

"Dad…"

"The threat, the _real_ threat, it's still up there," he said, pointing at the sky.

She shivered. He had no idea how right he was.

"I saw it," he went on. "I still see it, every time I close my eyes. I can't sleep. And I don't know how to explain what I saw. All I know is Iron Man is not good enough."

PTSD? This had never happened before, not even after Afghanistan. But then, a cave in the desert and a portal in the sky weren't exactly the same thing. Ana wanted to say that she understood him, probably better than anybody else. She had seen some shit, too. But he didn't seem ready to hear about her own struggles.

"And what would be good enough, in your opinion?"

He sat down next to her. "An Iron Legion…"

 _No_ , she thought. They needed the Nexus, whatever that was. But an Iron Legion wouldn't hurt either.

"Sorry, kid," he said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"I'm not scared," she lied.

"Anyway, why did you call me here?"

Ana gulped. She couldn't tell him. How could she? He was almost going to die saving the world, and now suffering from the mental consequences of his sacrifice. How could she tell him that everyone he loved might be tortured to death because of what he had done? But she had to give him something, otherwise he would get suspicious.

"It's Shuri…"

"Don't tell me you girls had a fight. Is it because of that vibranium car?"

"No, we didn't have a fight. She's just decided to drop out of school. She must return to Wakanda and sort some things out. Family stuff… It doesn't have anything to do with me. It's embarrassing, actually. I shouldn't have called you here at this hour for something like this."

"No, I'm glad you did. I'm sorry she has to leave. I know you don't have many friends."

"Yeah, it took me like 20 years to find someone I could call friend," she scoffed. "I'm hopeless."

"That's not true. I mean, you never had a problem trusting Pepper, Rhodey, or Happy, for example."

"Yeah, I trust them because you do. Shuri is the first person _I_ chose to trust."

"If it's any help, I think you made the right choice."

"Thanks, Dad… So, are you going to stay here, or…"

"If you, uhm, need me, I can stay for a couple of days, sure," he said, but he was visibly uncomfortable. So, that was apparently why he had been hesitant to come here in the first place.

"The nightmares are worse when you're here, aren't they?"

"I can handle it."

"Dad, we can move to a different building if you want. This tower… It's full of bad memories."

" _Memories_? How many times do I have to tell you, I'm not a sentimentalist…"

They both knew that was a lie. "Does Pepper know?"

"Not yet. But I'll tell her, I promise."

"Yeah, you should."

"Tell you what, I'll stay here until Monday. Let's see how it goes."

Now she was feeling even more guilty. "You don't have to…"

"No, it's fine. Midas needs fixing, anyway. JARVIS, take him to my workshop, will you?"

"Yes, sir."

After he set off to the workshop, she grabbed her phone and texted Shuri. " _He's suffering from PTSD now. I can't tell him. Sorry."_


	7. Chapter 7

Killian's visit had left her… bemused.

It would be a lie if Pepper said he had enjoyed working with Aldrich Killian back in the day. He had been such an annoying boss. Thankfully, a sexual harassment lawsuit hadn't been necessary, because she had applied for a position at Stark Industries, and soon had been hired, before things got uglier with Killian. It wasn't shame, or fear that had stopped Pepper from standing up for herself. It was pity. She had pitied the poor guy, because she couldn't even imagine what it had to be like to live with all the disabilities he had.

Today, he had been different, though. Well, first of all, he looked different. _"Years of physical therapy,"_ he had said. He had talked about a new project, something called Extremis. Pepper had been impressed by the idea of hacking the human brain and improving it, but business was business. She had had to refuse him. Stark Industries was going to play no part in creating a new generation of supersoldiers.

To her surprise, Killian hadn't been pushy about it. Not at all. That was another difference she had noticed. He was charming now, not annoying. His determination to overcome his physical challenges deserved some recognition as well. As for his past… It could be forgiven, right? After all, he seemed to have learned from his mistakes. And he had indirectly helped her meet Tony, the man she loved.

But Killian was forgotten the moment she saw the giant bunny outside the mansion. She sighed. Why could Tony not just get her a normal present for once?

"I'm sorry I'm late. I was… What the—What's that?"

And now, she had found him sitting in the living room, wearing an Iron Man suit. Okay, forget about a normal present. She would settle for a normal evening.

"You're wearing this in the house now? What's that, Mark 15?"

"Uhm, yeah," he replied. "Something like that. You know everybody needs a hobby."

She sat down on the couch, and took off her shoes. God, it had been a long day. "And you have to wear your hobby in the living room?"

"Just breaking it in, you know, it's always a little pinchy in the GUI-bagger at first."

She chuckled.

"Oh, did you see your Christmas present?"

"Yes, I did. I don't know how I could have missed that Christmas present. Is it going to fit through the door?"

She spotted today's fan mails on the coffee table. They were from kids; they adored Iron Man. Those were the cute ones. And then, there were occasionally the creepy, annoying, but mostly harmless ones written by obsessive groupies and cosplayers who gathered around the Avengers Tower several times a week. As for death threats, they were surprisingly rare these days.

"Well, actually, that's a good question. I got a team of guys coming tomorrow. They're going to blow out that wall… So, uh, tense? Good day?"

He started giving her a shoulder massage. "I don't want to harp on this, but did you like the custom rabbit?"

"Did I like it? Wow."

"Nailed it, right?"

She rose from the chair and turned to face him. She was starting to get suspicious. "Well, I appreciate the thought very much, so why don't you lift that mask and give me a kiss?"

He started making funny noises and knocked on the helmet. "Huh, yup, damn it… No can do. You want to just kiss it on the facial slit?"

Okay, she was right to be suspicious. He wasn't even in the suit. He must have found a way to control them remotely.

"Why don't I just run down to the garage and see if I can find a crowbar and jam that thing open?"

"A crowbar? Oh, except there's been a radiation leak."

"I'll take my chances."

She found him doing pull-ups in the shop. He was wearing a headset to remotely control the suit, which was now descending the steps behind her. It felt weird to be followed around by a machine. But then, such oddities were expected when your boyfriend was a genius. And a superhero.

"Busted."

She was planning to go easy on him, but she changed her mind when she saw the dishes. "This is a new level of lame."

"Sorry."

"You ate without me, on date night?"

"In his defense, I'm the one who kind of ruined your date night," a familiar voice said.

"Ana?" Pepper exclaimed. She knew Ana was coming home for Christmas, but she was supposed to be here tomorrow.

"Surprise… Really sorry about to date night, by the way."

Pepper went to hug her. "Don't be ridiculous, I missed you."

"I missed you, too, Pep. What's up?"

"Well, it's been a long day. What about you? Are you still working?" she asked, looking at the laptop on her desk. "Take a break, Ana. You earned it."

"No, this is not work. I've just started writing my dissertation."

"Already?" Pepper huffed.

"Yep."

Once Ana had her Ph.D, she would be able to enter the SHIELD Academy. As the CEO, Pepper had sorted things out. Ana would work for Stark Industries remotely, and attend important meetings via conference call. They were going to have to arrange those meetings according to her class schedule. People didn't know she was going to train at SHIELD, though; they thought she was going abroad for post-doctoral study. Which was okay. They had had their doubts about her at first, but Ana had proven herself. So, no one would mind making a few easy compromises to keep working with Ana Stark.

But as her pseudo-step-mom, Pepper wasn't okay with this at all. Ana didn't seem to have learned anything from what had happened to poor Phil.

"I told him we should wait for you, but he was hungry, so…"

"No, it's okay, really."

"Yeah, I had a quick bite, because I didn't know if you were coming home, or having drinks with Aldrich Killian."

Pepper gaped at him. Okay, this was new. He had never been the jealous stalker type.

"I'll leave you guys alone," Ana said gingerly, took her laptop, and went out of the garage.

"What?" she cried. "Aldrich Killian? What, are you checking up on me?"

"Happy was concerned."

"No, you're spying on me! I'm going to bed."

"Come on," she heard him say, but ignored it.

"Hey, I admit it! My fault. Sorry."

Well, he had apologized, so she decided to give him a chance at least, and returned to the shop.

"Sorry, I'm a piping hot mess," he went on. "It's been going on for a while. I haven't said anything. Ana knows, though. I promised her that I'd tell you, but…"

"Okay, tell me now."

"Nothing's been same since New York."

"Oh, really? I didn't notice that at all."

"You experience things, and then they're over, and you still can't explain them. Gods, aliens, other dimensions… I'm just a man in a can. The only reason I haven't cracked up is probably because you've moved in. Which is great, I love you, I'm lucky. But honey… I can't sleep. You go to bed, I come down here. I do what I know. I tinker. The threat is imminent. And I have to protect the one thing I can't live without. This family. And my suits, they're…"

"Machines," she said softly.

"They're part of me."

"A distraction."

"Maybe."

She walked to him, and removed the headset. She was glad that he was finally so honest about New York. Perhaps she could even learn more about what had really happened while they were at it.

"I'm going to take a shower."

"Okay."

"And you're going to join me."

"Better."

…

Pepper felt a familiar guilt overwhelm her once again as they cuddled in the bed after the shower. "I should've answered that call…"

He smiled. "You couldn't have known."

"I should have… I was just frozen in shock. I was watching the news and trying to see if you were doing okay. It never occurred to me to call you. That's embarrassingly stupid. I'm an idiot."

He pulled her closer. "That's not true. I'd never be in a relationship with an idiot."

"You used to hook up with idiots."

"Be honest, were you ever jealous?"

"No."

"Pepper?"

"Okay, sometimes. What about you? Are you jealous of Killian, or simply share the concerns of my Head of Security?"

"That depends."

"On what?"

"Whether you two have ever—"

Pepper cringed. "No!"

"Well, that's good to know."

"Look, he used to flirt with me when I worked for him, and I let him, because I felt sorry for him. He was harmless, and he was—"

"Never going to get laid, yeah."

"That's a cruel thing to say."

He shrugged. "I'm sure he's making up for lost time now. I mean, have you seen him? Oh, wait, of course you have…"

She shook her head in frustration. "Shut up, Tony," she said firmly, and then closed her eyes. Soon, they both fell asleep.

Pepper had thought it would be a peaceful night. She couldn't be more wrong.

She had woken up to Tony's muffled screams. He was having a nightmare. Pepper realized he had never seen him so… vulnerable before. Whatever he was seeing right now, it obviously terrified him. Which she found quite disturbing, because Tony wasn't easily scared, you had to give him that.

"Tony, wake up," she whispered, gently shaking him awake.

God, this was only going to get worse. She thought of consulting with a therapist, but was there even one who had specialized in cases of PTSD after alien encounters, or an unpleasant trip to space? Who could tell them what exactly he needed in order to heal?

Suddenly, she let out a scream, startled by something cold and hard grabbing her by the wrist. She turned her head, only to find an Iron Man suit looking down on her menacingly.

"Power down!" Her scream must have woken him up.

The suit released her, and was shut down immediately. Tony then smashed it to pieces.

JARVIS quietly turned on the lights. Pepper swung her legs over the side of the bed, still shaking.

"I must've called it in my sleep. That's not supposed to happen, I'll recalibrate the sensors."

She didn't care what he did with that thing anymore. She knew he felt safe around those armors, but for her, it was the opposite. It was only one of the things she would never be able to understand about him.

"Can we just… Don't, don't go…"

"I'm going to sleep downstairs. Tinker with that."

But the moment she opened the door, she found herself standing at gunpoint, by Ana, and screamed again. Now Ana was screaming, too.

"What the hell is going on?" Tony yelled.

Thankfully, Ana put the gun down before someone got hurt. "Geez, guys… I thought you were in trouble," she said, looking at the pieces of the smashed suit scattered around the room. Her face told Pepper that she understood this wasn't just some kink gone wrong.

"I just want to sleep, okay?" Pepper finally snapped. "With no guns, or suits in my face!"

"Pepper, I'm sorry," Ana said, but she simply ignored her, and stormed off. There was only so much Stark madness she could handle for one night.

When she woke up in the morning, Pepper started to wonder if she had overreacted last night. In her defense, she had been terrified. But they needed to talk. Ana apparently slept with a gun these days, and Tony couldn't even sleep at all. They had to sort this out like the adults they were.

She found them both in the living room, watching the news. Apparently there had been another Mandarin attack last night. Tony was angrily fidgeting with his phone.

They hadn't noticed her coming down the stairs. Pepper cleared her throat. The moment they turned to look at her, Pepper realized something was very, very wrong.

Ana's eyes were red. As for Tony… She had seen this dark, vengeful look on his face only once before, when Thor had told them that he was planning to take Loki to Asgard alive.

Pepper could think of only one explanation. Someone they knew had been hurt.

"I'll tell her," Ana told him softly, then turned to Pepper. "Happy was at the Chinese Theater last night. He's alive, but… He's in a coma, and he might not wake up."

Pepper gulped.

Happy.

Yesterday, she had told Happy how the staff was complaining about him. True, maybe he had been taking his new job a bit too seriously, but he was brave, kind, and loyal, and… Pepper had been awful to him. He wasn't just any employee; he was their friend. And if something happened to him, she didn't know how she could live with the guilt.

"We're going to the hospital," she went on. "Are you coming?"

"Yes." That was all she was able to say.

Ana nodded, grabbed a bag she must have packed earlier, and went out. Tony and Pepper followed her.

"Tony?" she asked on their way to Pepper's car.

He didn't say anything. Instead, he put an arm around her waist and pulled her closer.

"Sorry about last night. I overreacted."

"It's okay. We scared you."

They didn't talk much on the way to the hospital. When they arrived, a nurse led them to Happy's room. He was indeed in a coma. The doctors didn't seem very hopeful.

As the three of them watched him in silence, Pepper decided that she was useless here. Instead, she needed to speak with the police, maybe even call in some favors to find out if they were hiding anything from the public. Knowing Tony, the Mandarin threat was now something personal.

So, she left Tony and Ana in the hospital, and that was how she spent the day; speaking with the authorities and pulling strings. In the end, she had nothing, though. The Mandarin had claimed responsibility for the bombing, but the whole world knew that much.

Of course, Tony had to make things even worse. Pepper watched in horror as he openly threatened the Mandarin and gave him his home address on TV. _Their_ home address. Had he finally gone mad? But when he returned home, she didn't scold him. He looked so tired, so defeated… It just wasn't the right time. Instead, they simply embraced and held each other in silence for a while.

"Where's Ana?"

"She wanted to stay with Happy. She'll call us if anything changes. In the meantime, I'll see what I can dig up on this Mandarin, okay?"

"Okay. But Tony…"

"Yeah?"

"We need to leave this house as soon as possible. It's not safe anymore."

"Don't worry, I'll be prepared." He gave her a tender kiss, then headed down to the garage. Pepper sighed. He was never going to learn.

…

They had been too late.

They had been too late to leave town, and the Mandarin had responded to the challenge, in the worst possible way. The house was gone. Tony was gone. Pepper, as a seasoned businesswoman, had a considerable amount of experience in crisis management, but even she didn't know how to manage this one.

The cops, FBI, some firefighters, and reporters showed up shortly after the attack. Pepper just sat in a corner, hoping one of them would tell her that they had found Tony. Maya Hansen stayed with her, but kept her distance. Pepper didn't really feel like speaking with her right now. She had called Ana, but Ana hadn't picked up her phone. The bodyguards at the hospital said she had left hours ago. Was she in trouble, too?

A broken Iron Man helmet lying on the edge of the cliff caught her attention, and she went to pick it up.

" _I'm Iron Man. The suit and I are one."_

" _They're part of me."_

Pepper now understood what he meant. Some people thought he was nothing without the suits, that he didn't have any superpowers, but they were wrong. He had a superpower. He was gifted. And the suits were a manifestation of that gift.

Suddenly, she heard a beeping noise, and when she turned the helmet over and looked inside, she found a small red LED blinking. Was it supposed to do that? Not knowing what else to do, she put the helmet on, and it came alive.

"Stark Secure Server… Retinal scan, verified," a female voice said.

Then, Pepper heard Tony's voice. "Pepper, Ana, it's me… I've got a lot of apologies to make, and not a lot of time, so first off. I'm sorry I put you girls in harm's way. That was selfish, and stupid, and it won't happen again. Also, it's Christmas time. The rabbit's too big. Done. Sorry. And I'm sorry in advance because… I can't come home. I need to find this guy. You gotta stay safe. Take care of each other. That's all. I just stole a poncho from a wooden Indian."

The last part actually made her chuckle. She didn't know if he was safe, but at least he was alive.

" _Pepper!"_

Pepper took off the helmet, and found Ana standing next to her. "Ana? Where have you been?"

"Sorry. I had to take care of some things."

She grinned. "Tony, he's—"

She raised a hand to silence her. "I know," she said coldly. "I received it on my way here."

"Y—you don't seem happy…"

"I am happy. I just don't want to show it. Let people think he's gone. The same trick saved my life once. Now it might save his as well."

"Right," she agreed, but her maternal instincts were screaming that there was something was wrong with Ana. She was just a kid; she wasn't supposed to be able to do this so easily. "Come, there's someone I'd like you to meet."

Now that Ana was finally here, they could no longer ignore Maya Hansen. She had seemed like she had something important to say this morning.

"Ana, this is Maya Hansen, an old friend of Tony's…"

Maya extended her hand, but immediately withdrew it when she saw the death glare Ana was giving her. Okay, Ana had never liked the women Tony had slept with, but she had always been… polite enough if she had to be around them.

"How do you know my father?" she asked, making Pepper wonder if she was practicing to be a SHIELD interrogator some day.

"We met at a conference in Switzerland."

Pepper came to the conclusion that it was actually satisfying to watch one of Tony's exes being visibly uncomfortable around his daughter for a change.

"Bern 2000?"

"Yeah. I don't think you were there, though, were you?"

"No, I spent that New Year's Eve here in Malibu."

"And you're blaming me for that?"

"Ms. Hansen, as you can see, there's no time for niceties, so I'm going to be blunt. The mansion might have been destroyed, but the land itself still belongs to us. As a resident of this land, I say you're not welcome here. Leave. Now."

"Ana, there's no need for that," Pepper broke in, but Ana didn't even look at her.

"Yes, there is. You're a trespasser, Ms. Hansen. And trespassers make me feel very threatened. Especially right now."

In the meantime, she had casually unbuttoned her jacket, revealing the gun strapped to her hip. Okay, this had turned from _satisfying_ to _disturbing_ really fast. Was this what _her_ PTSD looked like?

Maya smiled nervously. "Point taken. But I have something important—"

"I don't care. Piss off."

"Okay." She turned around and walked away. Pepper dashed after her. "Maya, I'm so sorry, she's not normally like this. Ana wouldn't even hurt a fly."

She cocked an eyebrow. "You're lucky she likes you, then."

"Don't just leave yet, okay? Just wait for me over there, I want to hear what you have to say."

"Okay."

Pepper then returned to where Ana was waiting. "What the hell are you doing?" she whispered angrily.

"Taking good care of you."

"Maya is not a threat!"

"Is she not? Guess who else was at that conference in Bern? Aldrich Killian, who suddenly decided to pay you a visit a few days ago."

"How do you even know Killian was at that party?"

"I was there when Happy called Dad to warn him about Killian. Happy remembered him from that night."

"So?"

"I don't believe in coincidences, Pepper. Not anymore."

Pepper shook her head in frustration. She had expected a better explanation than _"I don't believe in coincidences."_

"Ana, you're just being paranoid. I get it, you're upset. New York, Happy, this attack… It's been too much. But you shouldn't take it out on others."

"Pepper…"

"Yeah?"

"You're not my mom. Stop acting like it!"

She turned around, and strode towards her car.

"Where are you going?"

"Back to New York," she said under her breath, as if she didn't want anyone else to hear it. "No one's stupid enough to attack the building the Hulk himself lives in, not even the Mandarin. Are you coming with me?"

"No."

Pepper had always been careful not to give Ana the impression that she was trying to replace her mother, especially after she and Tony had openly become a couple. She did want to be a mother to Ana, but she had never been able to tell if this was an arrangement Ana, too, wanted. Well, now she had an answer. And it had broken her heart.

Without a word, Ana jumped into the car, slammed the door shut, and sped away.

…

Maybe there was no such thing as coincidence, indeed.

Happy had warned her. Tony had warned her. Ana had warned her. Pepper should have listened.

There was only pain now. Too much pain. And heat. At first, Pepper had thought her entire body was on fire, but if that had been the case, the flames would have consumed her by now. She would have turned to ashes, and the pain would have ended. A part of her wanted that.

" _This is just Phase One,"_ Killian had said. How many "phases" were there? And even if she somehow survived this, she was going to become a freak like him. Her life was over… She was going to have to spend the rest of her days in an isolated cell or something. Or worse, they were going to have to kill her. Tony… What would Tony do? And her mom… Who was going to tell her mom?

The door was opened, a woman in a lab coat entered, and locked the door behind her. She seemed quite disturbed to find Pepper like this.

"Please…" Pepper begged her. Surely, there was someone in this place, someone who still had some conscience left in them. There had to be. This was wrong. No human being should be allowed to go through this.

The woman approached her with hasty steps. "Pepper!" she whispered.

"Do you know me?"

Maybe she was someone Tony had hired, or a SHIELD agent… Pepper was now more hopeful.

But when she took off her glasses and revealed her real face, Pepper gasped in panic. "Ana?"

"Holographic mask," she explained, waving the pair of glasses triumphantly, and dozens of tiny LED lights embedded in the glasses frame rapidly blinked once. "I didn't have time to make it smaller, and the moment someone touches your face, your cover is blown, but it was enough to get me this far."

"I thought you'd be in New York."

"Did you really think I'd leave you here unprotected? I'm so sorry, by the way, I was such a bitch to you. But I had to make it look convincing."

"You shouldn't be here, it's too dangerous."

"Well, I'm already here, so…"

"What now?"

"Now, I'm going to find a way to get this thing out of your system."

Ana inspected the medical device she was strapped to for several minutes. Then, she crossed to the computers and began typing.

Pepper wanted to maintain hope, she really did. But both Tony and Ana were engineers. They tinkered with machines, not humans. Ana didn't normally seem so clueless while working on something.

"Ana, how much do you know about human biology?"

"Only the basics," she admitted, typing something furiously. Pepper hoped that her definition of _basics_ was at least something more than high-school biology. "Which is why I need your help. Did Killian, or Hansen tell you anything?"

The unbearable pain clouded her mind, but she tried to remember what Killian had told him.

"It's called Extremis. I think it affects the brain, or the DNA, I'm not sure… Killian said something about an empty slot in the brain…"

"Technically, it's a virus," she said, her eyes still fixated on the screen. "An artificial, nano-tech virus. I can work with that. All I have to do is—Oh, Pepper…"

"What?"

She turned to her. "Your body's highly volatile right now. If I interrupt the process…" She let out a troubled sigh.

She didn't have to continue. Pepper had understood. "I'll die…" she said in a small voice.

Ana nodded. "Those Mandarin attacks… I don't think there were any bombs involved, Pep."

She understood. People. People who had this thing in their body exploded. Not bombs. Pepper couldn't say she was shocked. She indeed felt like she could explode at any moment. "Ana, seriously, you need to go. See, there's nothing you can do for me."

"I can't leave you here."

Suddenly, there was a noise. Someone was trying to open the door. Ana put on the glasses, activated the disguise, and unlocked the door.

It was one of the guards.

"Dr. Miles? Why did you lock the door?"

"Yeah, about that… There's something you need to see. Come." The glasses altered her voice, too. Thankfully.

Once the guard entered, Ana locked the door again. His eyes narrowed in suspicion when she did that, but Ana pulled out a gun with a silencer, and shot him in the head before he could even react. He collapsed on the floor.

Pepper gasped again. The guard's head started glowing.

"Please don't explode," Ana said.

Well, he wasn't exploding, but he was healing. At this point, Pepper wasn't sure which was worse. But Ana ran to him before he was fully recovered, turned him around, and put another bullet in the nape of his neck. This time, the glow faded within seconds.

"Empty slot, you said?" she explained, almost cheerfully.

Pepper had been watching her in shock during the whole time. "Are you… okay?"

"Yeah, now we just need to find a way to move you out of here, before anybody else shows up."

"Have you killed anyone before?" God, she hadn't even blinked an eye before pulling the trigger…

"This one is the second. The first was Dr. Miles herself."

"What's going on with you?"

"Seriously? You're practically being tortured right now, and you want to have a discussion about _my_ inner demons?"

"Well, yeah."

"Okay… I threatened people with this," she started, showing her the gun. "I just needed to see if I was making idle threats, or was indeed capable of pulling the trigger. I did it to prove something to myself, not to others, which might actually be a first. So yeah, I killed two people today. And I have no regrets."

Both Tony and Ana didn't usually play well with others, but for different reasons. Tony didn't even bother to be nice to those that weren't interesting enough for him, while Ana tried too hard to please everyone, to the point of a burnout. She worried too much about what others thought of her. Pepper had always wanted her to grow some backbone, but not like this. Not under such circumstances.

"How are we going to get out of here?"

"Alright, here's the plan: I can't remove the IV, but I can call a suit—"

"The suits are gone!"

"Trust me, they are not."

So, Tony still had more suits hidden away somewhere. She couldn't say she was surprised.

"We'll place you in a suit, and it will take you to New York. It will be on auto-pilot, don't worry. You won't have to do anything. Bruce can figure this out. He's much better at this stuff than I am."

"What if someone here sees the suit? And what about you?"

"Mark 27… Yeah, Mark 27 has the most advanced stealth mode. Let's just hope it's fully functional."

"Mark 27? How many suits has he made?"

"Do you really want to know?"

Pepper thought for a moment. "No," she decided.

She took out her phone to call the suit, but paused when there was a pounding on the door again. Someone was trying to enter the room. "Open the door!"

Pepper's eyes widened in horror. "That's Killian!"

"Shit…"

"Ana, you have to go."

"How?"

"The window!"

"Who's in there? Open the door!" he repeated. "Damn it!"

Ana crossed to the window, opened it, and leaned out. But then, she backed away from the window, and shook her head.

"What is it?" Pepper asked.

"I can't do it. It's too high. So much for being a badass, huh?"

"Just do it, Ana, please. If Killian gets you… You don't want to go through this, believe me."

"Self-destruction mode," Ana whispered into the phone. It started smoking, and she quickly threw it out of the window. "I couldn't risk Killian recovering any data from that. Dad's going to need the Legion."

In the meantime, the metal doorknob had started to melt down like a candle. Even if Ana changed her mind about the window, it was too late.

Killian swung the door open, and grinned when he saw them. "My day just keeps getting better and better!"

In response, Ana shot him in the neck, but it merely annoyed him. She probably had aimed for the head, as she had done before, but this time, her hands were shaking terribly. Killian's guard stepped forward, and Ana emptied the magazine at him, but to no avail. The guard quickly disarmed her, kicked her in the stomach, and forced her down on her knees.

"I don't think we've met," Killian said. "I'm Aldrich Killian."

Ana remained silent.

"Killian," Pepper broke in. "Let her go. She's just a kid."

Killian turned to her, his eyes literally blazing. "Well, as you can see, that _kid_ killed one of my men!"

"I'll do anything. Just let her go."

He then went to examine the gun wound at the back of the dead guard's head. "Maya said she'd be a problem."

"If you hurt her, Tony will never help you!"

"We'll see about that," he said, one arm expectantly extended. Another guard brought him an ax.

Pepper gasped, trying to think of something, anything that could stop Killian. What was he going to do, chop off her head?

"Killian, please!" she begged again, her own pain forgotten.

"Hands, or feet?" Killian then asked Ana, ignoring Pepper. "I think someone like you would miss her hands more… Close your eyes, Pepper. You don't have to see this."

"Are you insane?" she cried, struggling to get free. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Look away, Pepper," he repeated.

Pepper had no idea how Ana was able to remain so calm. One guard had forced her down on her stomach, arms spread out. Pepper didn't want to do as Killian said, but she didn't think she could watch this. So, she shut her eyes, and waited, silently begging for a miracle.

There was a sickening thud, and then, Ana's screams pierced her ears. She was barely able to hear the second thud.

Pepper opened her eyes. She had to see how bad it was. The guard had lifted Ana back to her knees, and was forcing her to look at Killian. There was blood. Too much blood.

Killian placed his glowing hands on Ana's wrists, and the poor girl screamed again. For a moment, Pepper thought he was doing this to torture her, but then realized that he was actually cauterizing the wounds. The smell of blood and burnt flesh filled her nostrils. Her stomach churned in disgust.

"Better?" Killian then asked Ana.

Ana looked like she was preparing to say something, but all she did was to throw up on Killian.

"Disgusting," he muttered, his face wrinkled. "We're done here. For now," he then announced. Before he left, he picked up the severed hands on the floor. What he was going to do with them, Pepper didn't even want to know.

They left Pepper and Ana there. The door was beyond repair; they didn't even bother to close it.

"Pepper," Ana, who was still standing on her knees in a puddle of her own blood, whispered. She looked like she was in shock, as if she was struggling to comprehend what had just happened to her.

"Ana, look at me. It's going to be okay. Tony… He'll make this okay." She didn't know if Tony could fix _this_ , but right now, she had to believe that he could.

"I wish you were my mom…"

With these words, she passed out. Tears welled up in Pepper's eyes.

…

Killian's scientists kept giving her more injections. She didn't know how much time had passed, but they had moved her to a different place, and Ana wasn't there with her. Pepper was constantly slipping in and out of consciousness. All sense of time was lost to her.

Everything was a blur. She vaguely remembered her conversation with Killian about being here as his trophy, President Ellis in the Iron Patriot suit, the explosions, and the fall. She clearly remembered Tony's face, though. The face that basically said he couldn't live without her. She had feared that it would be the last thing she saw. But she had survived the fall. She had survived the flames that licked her skin, and by the time she had crawled out of the fire, the pain had been replaced with pure, shameless rage. She had decided to kill that swine, Aldrich Killian, herself.

She knew putting a bullet in the back of Killian's head would kill him, but blowing his head off had done the trick. But once he was dead, she started coming back to her senses. She had killed someone. She had found it quite disturbing when Ana had done something like this not long ago.

"Oh my God, that was really violent…" she said, but then realized she had more important concerns. Ana still wasn't with them. "Wait, where's Ana? Is she—"

The tormented look on Tony's face made her regret the question. "She's… safe. Rhodey and I sent her to hospital."

"Is she going to be okay?"

"She is," he said, but Pepper wasn't sure if he was trying to convince her, or himself. She wished it were safe to give him a hug. Would she ever be able to touch him again?

"Come here." He held out his arms to hug her, but she didn't let him.

"No, don't touch me! I'm going to burn you!"

"No, you won't," he said softly, and put a hand on her arm to prove his point. "Not hot." She wasn't glowing. For now.

"Am I going to be okay?" she asked this time.

"No. You're in a relationship with me. Everything is not going to be okay. But I can figure this out, yeah. I almost had this twenty years ago when I was drunk. I think I can… get you better. That's what I do. I fix stuff."

He still sounded like he was trying to convince himself.

"And all your distractions?"

"I'm going to shape them down a little bit… JARVIS?"

"All wrapped up here, sir. Will there be anything else?"

"You know what to do."

"The Clean Slate Protocol, sir?" Pepper wondered what the Clean Slate Protocol was. Even JARVIS sounded a bit reluctant.

"Screw it, it's Christmas… Yes."

Then, the suits hovering above them started exploding, like a firework show. She knew these suits were still part of him—not to mention each was worth several million dollars—but he had given up on them just to make her smile. And that was why she was in love with him.

…

As promised, once they moved to the Avengers Tower, Tony fixed his girls. He finished Maya Hansen's work and stabilized Extremis, so that Pepper wouldn't have to live the rest of her life as a time bomb, and used a safer version to give Ana a new pair of hands. According to Tony, the "benefits" were still not worth the risk, so he had removed it from Ana's system, too, once she no longer needed said benefits. The virus had permanently altered their DNA, though. Tony had told her that it was like a recessive gene, but he still wanted to keep this under wraps. SHIELD had some shady protocols about human enhancements, and Tony certainly didn't want his girlfriend and his daughter to be tagged like stray animals for no reason.

Pepper considered the change in her DNA more like an invisible scar. She didn't blame Tony for what had happened, but it was frustrating to know that Killian had permanently changed something in her body, no matter how insignificant it was. Maybe Tony, too, had sensed her frustration, and maybe that was why he had decided to have the shrapnel in his heart removed by Dr. Wu. To prove that nothing was beyond repair. Even his own heart.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: The canon divergence begins at the end of this chapter. I won't be following Age of Ultron or Civil War plotlines. I'll still use a few events from the movies, but not necessarily in a chronological order, so the timeline might get blurry sometimes. But don't worry, it won't be too confusing.**

 **Also, I'm happy to announce that I've finished pre-writing this story, and decided to stick to a weekly posting schedule from now on. Updates on FFnet will be on Wednesdays. There will be 17 chapters in total, and the total word count will be around 95k. I should probably start writing the sequel (which will focus on Shuri and Wakanda), but I'm also planning to start a collection of one-shots that take place in the series. Like, missing scenes, flashbacks, etc. But I'm not sure about it yet. If you're interested, or have an idea for one-shots, let me know.**

* * *

Phil Coulson's name wasn't on the Wall of Valor.

It was odd, because every SHIELD agent who had died in the line of duty could be found on this wall, including those who had been killed by Loki, or one of his subordinates. Coulson was the only exception.

Ana had thought of asking her SO, Agent Weaver, but that would be a bad idea while she was still yet to prove that she trusted the system.

 _Trust the system_. That was what they taught the cadets at the Academy. But if the system was so trustworthy, why was Coulson's name not on the Wall of Valor? Why, according to the SHIELD files, did Sigyn not even exist, while she and Fury clearly knew each other?

But Ana knew she had to keep her mouth shut. She had a plan. Play along, show that you are not an entitled brat, prove your genius without asking too many questions, rise in the ranks, and get Fury's attention. But the mysterious attack at the swimming pool wasn't helping her cause. Anyone who was smart enough to find a way to instantly freeze an indoor pool was a suspect. That was probably why Ana had been summoned to Agent Weaver's office. For questioning. So, she stopped staring at the Wall of Valor—she checked the Wall every day to see if Coulson's name had been added; it had almost become a habit—and went to see her SO.

Agent Weaver smiled when she saw her. "Hello, Ana. How are you doing?"

"I'm doing fine, Agent Weaver, thank you."

"Please, take a seat."

Ana sat down across the desk from her, and waited. She still wasn't sure what to think of this woman. On one hand, Agent Weaver was kind, brilliant, and seemed to care deeply about her students. But on the other hand, she treated Ana a bit harshly, just for the sake of proving that there was no favoritism here.

"What do you think about the incident at the swimming pool?"

"I think it seems more serious than a freshman prank."

"You're a freshman. Has anyone pulled a prank on you?"

"Of course. They told me there were the remains of an actual dragon somewhere in the campus. It took me three days to realize it was a prank."

"Did it bother you?"

"No. I saw too many evil pranks at the boarding school. There're no bullies here, and I really like that."

"And still, you haven't made any friends, have you?"

"No."

"May I ask why?"

"Ma'am, I'm taking six courses this semester, so that I can graduate early. I'll be here for only one year, why should I bother to make friends?"

True, there were no bullies here, but there was too much competitiveness. Competition came before friendship, and Ana found this quite exhausting. So, she kept her distance, didn't let anything become too personal. Yes, rivalry was inevitable among geniuses. Ana and Shuri challenged each other all the time, for example, but it was just for shits and giggles. They didn't really care who was actually smarter. The people here did.

"Do you consider yourself above the other cadets?"

"I never said that."

Weaver took out something from a drawer and gave it to Ana. "We found this in the filter of the pool. Tell me what you think."

Ana took the device from her an inspected it. It looked like the combination of two separate devices. One was a crystalline nucleator, and the other was a delivery mechanism. It was… faulty at best, like a poor attempt to replicate someone else's invention, but she decided to keep that thought to herself. She didn't want to sound like a snob.

"This is definitely not a prank. I think someone is doing a very dangerous experiment."

"Why do you think so?"

She handed Weaver the device back. "The components aren't exactly affordable. No one in their right mind would waste thousands of dollars on a prank."

"You could easily afford these components if you wanted, right?"

So, that explained why she was a suspect. "I could. But why would I do something like that?"

Weaver then flipped a folder on her desk open with a concerned look on her face. "This is your psychic evaluation," she explained. "It says here your meeting with Loki was a defining moment."

"So?"

"Every SHIELD agent has a defining moment, Ana. Some of those moments can be quite traumatizing. As Supervising Officers, it's our job to be concerned about those ones."

"You don't think I'm still under Loki's influence, do you?"

"No, no… It's not that."

"What is it, then?"

"Did you know that Loki was a Frost Giant, and not an actual Asgardian? According to Thor's debriefing, at least."

"No," she said, and that was true. "Thor told me that he was adopted, but I didn't know he was a Frost Giant, whatever that means. Wait, do you think I'm trying to somehow imitate his powers?"

"That would give you a reason to build an Atmospheric Moisture Freezing Device. Maybe you're feeling weak. Vulnerable. And you want to be prepared for your next encounter with an alien."

 _Yeah, you have no idea._ "With all due respect, ma'am, I didn't know Loki was a Frost Giant, and even if I had, I wouldn't have cared. He didn't use his Frost Giant powers on me. You know what he did to me."

"I do. That's why I'm worried about you."

She was now panicking a little. What if Weaver started asking her questions about Extremis? Her dad had made sure no one would find out about what Killian had done to her. Very few people knew that Ana Stark had been mutilated. The generous donation seemed to have been enough to keep the hospital staff quiet so far. But SHIELD was also good at uncovering secrets.

"Then help me, Agent Weaver. You know I have a theory. But without the scepter itself, I'm stumbling in the dark."

"I've sent an official request to the Triskelion. Be patient, Ana. This is a government organization, not your father's private company. And even if they accept the request, you still have to show me you could be trusted with such a dangerous artifact. For now, prove me you didn't build this device."

"Okay, look… I might be a scientist, but I'm also a businesswoman. If I wanted to give myself powers, or threaten the fellow cadets for some reason, I'd find a cheaper way to do it. This device is… impressive, but it's not cost-effective."

"Speaking of business, I'd like to ask you another question… How did you feel when your father shut down the weapons manufacturing division of Stark Industries?"

"I felt relieved."

"You didn't want to build weapons?"

"No."

"And what if we asked you to design weapons for SHIELD?"

"I'd design weapons for SHIELD."

"Aren't you contradicting yourself?"

"My father shut down the weapons manufacturing division of Stark Industries, not because he thought the world no longer needed weapons, but because he knew it was almost impossible to make sure those weapons wouldn't fall into the wrong hands in a multi-billion dollar company. In SHIELD, I don't have to worry about that. I'm well aware of the fact that SHIELD is a government organization, and not my father's private company, ma'am. And I'm glad it's not."

"Your psychic evaluation also says you have deeply rooted trust issues. So, why did you choose to trust us? How are you going to make sure your designs won't fall into the wrong hands?"

"That's Director Fury's job."

"Do you trust Director Fury?"

"I trust the system," she lied.

"Very well," she said softly, then added, "I know your intentions are good, Ana. But I'm still not sure if you belong here. I hope you prove me wrong, I really do. That's all. You're free to go."

"Yes, ma'am. Thank you."

Ana returned to her room after this interrogation. She had homework, and Pepper had asked her to prepare a presentation on their latest software upgrades and customer feedback. She didn't have much time to think about what Weaver had said.

…

The next day, all classes were canceled, because everyone wanted to attend the lecture of Agents Leopold Fitz and Jemma Simmons. Agent Weaver always said they were the Academy's finest, but Ana didn't feel like going. Still, it would be suspicious not to go, so she dragged herself to the lecture hall, and did her best to appear interested. Well, at least Agents Fitz and Simmons seemed like cool people. It was easy to understand why everyone here admired them so much. But the lecture got interrupted by another Atmospheric Moisture Freezing Device attack, so she returned to her room, hoping no one would bother her.

Contrary to popular belief, Ana Stark rarely got what she wanted.

A young, brunette woman came to see her. Even if she was a student here, Ana had never seen her before.

"Ana Stark?"

"Yes?"

"My name's Skye, I'm here with Fitz-Simmons. Can I come in?"

"Sure." Fitz and Simmons had been invited as guest lecturers, but they were probably going to investigate the attacks with their team while they were here.

Agent Skye looked around the room and smiled, but she seemed a bit nervous. Like, fangirl-nervous. Which was weird, because SHIELD agents normally wouldn't be fangirling over a Stark. Maybe she was a rookie. But she seemed nice enough, so Ana decided to make her job easier.

"What can I do for you, Agent Skye?"

"Oh, I'm not really an agent. I'm a consultant. Like your dad, right?"

Okay, this was weird, too. Not many people knew her dad worked for SHIELD as a consultant. It wasn't exactly common knowledge, even among SHIELD agents. Her dad had said only those who had been directly involved in the Avengers Initiative project knew about it.

"Right. So, am I getting court-martialed?"

She laughed. "What? No! I just wanted to talk to you. Why does Agent Weaver think you're the one attacking the cadets anyway? It's nuts. I mean, you're… you."

"Because the components of the Atmospheric Moisture Freezing Device are rare and expensive. I'm one of the few cadets who can get my hands on them without a problem."

"If that's the case, we can trace the purchases to find out who is really behind this."

Ana wondered if Skye was really a rookie. Maybe she was just pretending to be one to make Ana lower her guard. "I don't think I have the clearance to do that."

Skye grimaced. "Are you serious?"

"Things might be a bit complicated right now, but I still trust the system," she said dutifully.

Skye rolled her eyes. "Well, you don't have to do it yourself. I can. As a matter of fact, that's exactly why I was recruited in the first place."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I'm a hacker."

Ana then recalled something. "Wait… Are you _the_ Skye? From the Rising Tide?"

"How did you know?"

"Weren't you the one who tried to hack into Stark Industries Central Database once?"

"Yeah, then I got locked out… embarrassingly fast."

"I was the one who locked you out."

"Okay, this is awkward," she said, but she was laughing. Well, the situation was indeed awkwardly funny. Ana had never been the outgoing type, but something had just clicked between them. For Ana, this was a rare thing. It had happened only once before, when she had first met Shuri at NYU.

"No hard feelings, right?"

"We're on the same side now. And in my defense, I was just curious."

"Don't worry, I'm not going to sue you for corporate espionage or anything. That would be ungrateful. SHIELD could've sent someone much less friendly to interrogate me."

"Thanks... I guess."

"Where did you study computer science? MIT? Stanford? Harvard?"

"Uhm, I actually dropped out of high school."

"Oh… So, you've been trained by the Rising Tide?"

"Yep."

Ana had never thought someone who had been trained by one of those hacker groups could be this good, but apparently, she had been wrong.

Skye's smile faded when she spotted the framed picture on the desk. It was a picture of Ana with her dad, Pepper, and Rhodey; it had been taken at the Forbidden City in Beijing, before her dad's surgery.

"Nice family," she commented, with a hint of longing in her voice.

"Thanks. I'm trying not to take anything for granted."

"That's good."

Ana felt a sudden urge to ask Skye about her family, but she had met this girl five minutes ago, and thankfully, she usually had a good brain-to-mouth filter. Not everyone was comfortable discussing their families with strangers.

"Well, I think I'll just go to the Bus, and start tracing those purchases."

"Do you want me to come with you? I can give you a list of the potential dealers," she offered. Ana was now quite familiar with the market.

The offer had made Skye visibly uncomfortable, though. "Uhm, there's no need for that. I'll just ask Fitz-Simmons."

"Okay. Good luck, Skye."

"You, too, Ana."

Then, another thought occurred to her. No one knew who the leader of the Bus Team was. A response team like that had to have a leader. A leader who was experienced in both combat and bureaucracy. Fitz-Simmons were obviously Team Science, Ana was now convinced that Skye was indeed just a consultant, they had a specialist whose name she couldn't remember right now, and rumor had it a legend known as "The Cavalry" was the pilot, but no one had ever mentioned a team leader. And now Ana had a guess why.

 _Screw this_ , she thought. Keeping a low profile wasn't getting her anywhere. She needed to stir up the hornet's nest if she wanted to get Fury's attention.

"Skye…"

Skye paused in the doorway and looked at her. "Yes?"

"Tell Coulson his secret is safe with me."

An expression of panic crossed Skye's face, confirming Ana's suspicions. _Good_ , she thought. Otherwise, this would have been really embarrassing. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Come on, Skye…"

"Okay," she relented. "How did you…"

"It's not your fault. I realized something was odd when I couldn't find Coulson's name on the Wall of Valor."

"So, is this what it's like to be a genius?"

Ana chuckled. "I'm not normally a walking polygraph, I swear. But like I said, Coulson's name wasn't on the Wall, you knew my dad was a consultant, and the identity of your team leader was a secret, so I just connected the dots."

"I'll let him know."

"Thanks."

…

Later that day, an unnatural storm over the campus led her to think that someone had built a much bigger version of the Atmospheric Moisture Freezing Device, but thankfully, it didn't last long. Maybe Coulson's team had intervened, or the idiot behind the attacks had failed. The device Agent Weaver had shown Ana wasn't exactly an engineering marvel anyway.

When someone knocked on her door again, she wondered if she had done a terrible mistake by sending Coulson a message.

But she changed her mind when she found Coulson himself standing right before her.

She had figured out that he was alive hours ago, and she knew she should maintain a professional relationship with him, but it was still such a relief to see him. A hug was in order.

To her surprise, Coulson hugged her back.

"It's so good to see you here, Coulson."

"Hello, Ana… May I?"

"Yeah, of course." She let him come in and closed the door.

"Not your usual type of accommodation," he said, looking around the tiny room.

"I'm adaptable."

"I can see that."

"Am I in trouble?"

"No. I just thought I should pay you a visit. I owe you that much."

"What about Skye? Is she in trouble?"

"Why would she? Her job was to find out who was behind the attacks. She did."

"Why did SHIELD recruit a Rising Tide hacker, anyway?" SHIELD didn't like those who refused to play by the rules. They could barely tolerate her dad, for example.

"It was actually my call. SHIELD needs people like her."

"So, are you going to tell me what that superstorm was about?"

"Do you know Ian Quinn?"

"Only by name. Stark Industries has never done any business with Quinn Worldwide."

"He was the one who funded two cadets to build the weather machine."

"I'll tell Pepper to add him to the blacklist."

"Good. I'll leave the rest for you to figure out," he said insinuatingly.

"Hey, I can't help what my mind does."

"I know that."

"What happened to you? How did you… survive?"

"To be honest, that's what I'm trying to figure out these days."

Ana nodded thoughtfully. She had a feeling that this was all Coulson would tell her. Nevertheless, Ana found his presence comforting. If people could come back from the dead, maybe growing a new pair of hands wasn't such a big deal, after all.

She didn't remember what it had felt like, to grow a new pair of hands. She had been heavily sedated during the procedure. When she had woken up, the Extremis in her system had been stabilized, she had hands, and she was wearing a pair of special microfiber gloves because her new hands would be extremely sensitive for the first couple of days. And of course, her dad was there with her.

Ana still wore the microfiber gloves while sleeping. She sometimes had nightmares about losing her hands again, and when she woke up, she would find bleeding scratches and nail marks on her hands. The gloves kept her from unintentionally hurting herself in her sleep.

"Coulson?"

"Yeah?"

"Look, like I said, your secret is safe with me, but I think the Avengers deserve to know the truth. They care about you. We all do."

"I'm not the only one you need to convince."

"Fury?"

He nodded.

"Well, orders are orders. _Trust the system_ , right?"

Coulson nodded again, but almost reluctantly. Strange. He was supposed to be one of those who had absolute, unyielding faith in the system.

"I'm sorry," she blurted out. "About what Loki did to you. He hurt me, too."

"I know." He patted on her shoulder before leaving.

 _Sorry, Dad_ , Ana thought. _But I still need to earn Fury's trust._

…

Ana must have got Director Fury's attention, because one day, when she returned to her room after another long and exhausting day, she found Agent Barton sitting on her bed.

"We're going on a mission," he simply said. "Fury's orders."

"What mission? Where are we going?"

He rose to his feet and shrugged.

"But this is just a temporary thing, right? I mean, I'm still a cadet, not a field agent."

"See, this is why I hate babysitting scientists. You guys ask too many questions… Pack everything you think you might need, meet me on the roof. Wheels up in ten."

After he left, she put her phone, her tablet, a flashlight, and spare batteries in a backpack. What else would she need? If she needed a weapon, Barton would probably give her one. Was there going to be a fight? She was now very glad that she had decided to take that self-defense class as an elective. It was tougher than any other self-defense classes she had had before, which made her realize how easy her dad, Rhodey, and Happy had been going on her. And that class was just for the Sci-Tech cadets. She could only imagine what kind of training specialists and field agents received. Ana had always considered herself lazy; not eating much was easier for her than hitting the gym on a regular basis. But after everything she had been through, martial arts helped her gain confidence and kept her motivated.

Barton was indeed waiting for him on the roof. Ana followed him into the quinjet without a word.

"Why did my SO not tell me anything about this mission?" she finally asked once they were in the air. She knew he didn't like questions, but she had to ask this one.

"Agent Weaver doesn't know. Fury wants to keep this one off the books."

Weaver had told her who had caused the superstorm at the campus. Seth Dormer and Donnie Gill. The former was dead, and the latter had been taken to the Sandbox. Ana didn't feel bad for either of them. The idiots had staged the attacks to lure Agent Fitz into the Academy, so that he would fix their crappy machine for them, and were almost going to get everybody killed just to impress Ian Quinn. As for Weaver, she now knew Ana had had nothing to do with the attacks, but she still seemed to think Ana wasn't cut out to be a SHIELD agent. Well, now that Fury had sent Hawkeye himself to take her on a mission, what Weaver thought was irrelevant. It was still hurtful, to know that your SO didn't have much faith in you for some unclear reason, but Ana tried to focus on the big picture. SHIELD was just a means to an end.

"So, this is not an official SHIELD mission?" she asked.

"Relax," Barton said with a reassuring smile. "We're just going to retrieve something from a storage facility. I don't expect any trouble."

"Thanks."

"Still, take this. Just in case." He handed her a Glock 26. "And turn off your phone. What else have you brought?"

"Just my tablet. And spare batteries."

"If you're going to use the tablet, make sure it's offline. We're going dark."

Ana noticed that Barton was enabling the stealth mode. As far as she knew, only the helicarriers were equipped with retro-reflective panels. "I thought SHIELD quinjets didn't have a cloaking system…"

"This one does."

Five hours later, they landed on a small island somewhere in the North Atlantic; Ana wasn't sure if the island had a name, or could even be found on a map. But there was indeed a secret facility.

There was a security camera at the gates, but no one welcomed them, warned them to stay away, or shot first and asked questions later. There was also what looked like a retinal scanner. Barton decided to give it a try.

ACCESS DENIED

He turned to Ana. "Can you take care of this, or am I going to have to blow the doors open?"

"Let me see." She approached the scanner to inspect the panel, but when she did, it automatically scanned her eyeball, too.

ACCESS GRANTED

Just like that, the heavy metal gates clicked open.

His face was priceless. "What the…"

Ana shrugged. "Don't look at me, I'm as clueless as you are."

They entered the bunk. It was mostly empty. There was an elevator, but Barton didn't take it. Instead, he located a secret hatch on the ground—Fury must have given him very specific instructions—and led her through a long, winding tunnel with a metal door at the end.

"You go ahead," he said once they reached it.

"Are you not coming?"

"I'll stand guard here."

"I don't even know what to do!"

"Fury thinks you'll know what to do."

"Why are you not coming?"

He let out an exasperated sigh. "It's called compartmentalization, Ana. Go ahead, it's completely safe."

Slowly, Ana entered the room, and closed the door behind her. This place looked like a lab, but none of the standard lab equipment looked worthy of a shady mission like this. Except for what stood on a desk in the middle of the room. It was something that both terrified, and delighted her. She was terrified, because she was almost going to kill her dad because of that thing. But she was also delighted, because Fury had finally chosen to trust her with it.

Loki's scepter. Or, Thanos'… Whatever.

Still, she had a feeling that there was more. Her retinal scan was in the system while Barton's wasn't, and he clearly had orders to wait outside while Ana was in the lab. There had to be something else here, something that was for her eyes only.

Ana decided to find out what it was.

Thankfully, her tablet had been equipped with X-Ray receptors, which she was now using to scan the room. She spotted a hidden vault in the corner. Ana put the tablet aside and went to open it. Inside the vault was a cryo chamber. When she swung the lid open, it made a hissing sound, and the cold, white steam didn't let her see anything at first, but once it cleared, she instinctively staggered backward.

 _You gotta be shitting me…_

A part of her had, in fact, expected to see this. But it didn't make the sight before her any less gruesome. Ana looked at the body of her future self in absolute stillness for some time. Sigyn's illusion must have worn off, because like Shuri had said, she looked in her mid-30s now. Ana's initial shock was now being replaced with pity, for even in death, there was a tormented expression on the time-traveler's face.

This wasn't just a mission to retrieve the scepter. This was a message. From Fury.

There was no visible sign of decay. The future Ana must have been put into the cryo chamber shortly after she had been killed, which meant that Fury had known about her all along.

She wasn't sure how much time had passed when she heard Barton's voice. "Ana? Are you done in there?"

"Just a second…"

"We don't have time, this place is rigged to blow!"

"What?" she cried. "Are we under attack?"

"No, it's a failsafe mechanism. There's Semtex all over the bunker. We have less than five minutes, come on!"

"Just give me 30 seconds!"

"Okay!"

With trembling hands, she took pictures of the body. It was proof, after all, and it was about to be destroyed in less than five minutes. She was going to send them to Shuri later. At least the body had been dressed in white hospital scrubs. She couldn't believe she was actually worried about that right now, but she was very glad that she didn't have to send her BFF some creepy nudes.

Then, she came up with an idea. This body could help her see if she had broken the time loop. Extremis had altered her DNA for good. She could take a DNA sample from her future self to see if she, too, had been through the same thing.

She actually took three samples, just to be sure. Then she closed the vault door, grabbed the scepter, and got out of the lab.

"Where have you—Oh… _That_."

"Yeah, I know."

"Come on!"

She followed him out of the bunker, then into the quinjet. Ten seconds after the take-off, the facility exploded with a deafening blast.

…

"Hey, are you okay, or am I going to have to call an exorcist?"

Only then, Ana realized that she was sitting in the co-pilot's seat cross-legged, staring into space and holding tightly onto Loki's scepter.

 _I just had to take DNA samples from my corpse. I'm most certainly not okay._ "Sorry." She gingerly placed the scepter on the floor. "I need to speak with Fury."

"There's a safe house. Fury will meet us there."

Ana nodded. It was a good thing Barton didn't ask too many questions. Or maybe, he had just misinterpreted her silence.

How much did Fury know? How had he even found the body? Who else had he told? Why was the scepter also there? The endless queue of questions was melting her brain.

The "safe house" turned out to be a farm where Barton's wife and two kids lived in peace. This was definitely not what Ana had expected. Mrs. Barton didn't seem to be expecting a guest either. But she was very kind to Ana, and didn't make any fuss when her husband said they would be staying here until he heard from Fury again. The kids were a bit disappointed to see that it wasn't "Aunt Nat" their dad had brought along, but they liked Ana well enough. Lila was especially delighted when Ana repaired her broken MP3 player after the dinner.

Something was definitely wrong with SHIELD. But Ana would worry about that later. For now, all she wanted was to speak with Fury, and then find a lab and analyze the DNA samples. But that was going to have to wait. There was nothing she could do about it.

Once she was alone in the guest bedroom, Ana connected her tablet to the satellite, and sent Shuri the pictures. Barton had told her to keep it offline, but Ana knew Stark tech was 100% untraceable. Otherwise, she wouldn't have taken the risk. There were kids here.

Shuri's reply came in less than five seconds. " _WTF?"_

" _Fury knows."_

" _How?"_

" _He sent me on a mission with Hawkeye. He must have wanted me to see that body. And secure Loki's scepter. I think something is wrong in SHIELD."_

" _You have the scepter?"_

" _Yep."_

" _What about the body? What if someone else finds it?"_

" _The whole facility is gone now. Fury isn't one to leave his secrets lying around. Btw, I took DNA samples from the time-traveler."_

" _You ARE a genius."_ That was the best part of having a smart best friend. You never had to do much explaining.

…

The next day, she woke up with red scratch marks on her hands. Damn, she should have remembered to take the gloves with her. Still, considering the circumstances, she had had a remarkably peaceful sleep. Maybe because everything was so peaceful here. Barton's homestead had made her realize how much she had alienated from nature. Her habitats mostly consisted of chrome, glass, and concrete. She had never been much interested in zoology, or botany, so it didn't bother her. But she could see the appeal of the farm life.

She found Barton outside, chopping wood. He seemed pretty upset about something—probably the fact that Loki's scepter was now under the same roof with his wife and kids—so Ana wasn't sure if it was a good idea to approach him, but he smiled when he saw her.

"You're up early," he said.

"So are you."

"Yeah, couldn't sleep much last night."

"Any word from Director Fury?"

"Not yet." He put the ax down. Gosh, Ana still felt a bit uneasy when she saw an ax… "Look, about the scepter… I know you said it was harmless, but can you make sure that thing doesn't mess with our heads?"

She thought for a moment. "Well, Bruce once told me the blue gem emits a low amount of gamma radiation. That's probably how it affects the mind."

"Alright. Just give me a list of the materials you need."

Ana smiled. "Fun fact: Almost anything can be used to block ionizing radiation. Even dirt."

"Are you saying we should just bury it?"

"Three or four feet deep will be enough. For extra protection, you can cover the gem with tin, copper, or aluminum. How do you think fallout shelters are built?"

He shot her a skeptical look.

"What?"

"I don't know. I just expected something… fancier."

"You know my dad built his first suit in a cave, right? Being a genius involves being resourceful."

"I'll start digging after breakfast. It's cold out here, let's get inside."

Soon, Mrs. Barton and the kids were up. After breakfast, Barton went to dig a hole in the backyard for the scepter, and Ana decided to help his wife clean up the table.

"Relax, dear," the woman suddenly told Ana as they placed the dishes into the dishwasher. "Clint would've never brought you here if he didn't trust you."

"Thanks, Mrs. Barton."

"Please, just call me Laura."

"It's just… the whole thing seems a bit funky. I don't want to give you guys any trouble."

"Actually, I'm glad you're here. Clint told me Loki used that scepter on you, too. I understand if you don't want to talk about it, but... What Loki did to Clint, it changed him. Even Natasha doesn't know how this alien thing works. I thought, if there's anything I can do to help Clint, maybe you could tell me."

Ana sighed. "If I find a way to… undo it, I'll let you know," she promised, not knowing what else to say. She just didn't think there was a way to fully undo whatever the scepter did to its victims.

All of a sudden, Cooper's voice interrupted their conversation. "War Machine!" the boy cried and started bouncing up and down excitedly.

Ana and Laura looked out the window. War Machine was indeed outside, arguing with Barton. Ana went out to see what this was about, with Laura trailing behind her.

"Rhodey?"

The War Machine suit opened up to reveal no one other than Tony Stark himself. She knew he wasn't supposed to be here, but damn, she had missed him. She didn't even try to hide her joy.

"Dad?"

"Hey, kid."

"How did you find this place, Tony?" Barton asked angrily, then turned to Ana. "Did you turn your phone on?"

"I, uhm—"

"I don't need her GPS to track her," her dad said quickly, saving her from a lot of trouble. "SHIELD's cloaking tech is mediocre at best. And I have a surveillance satellite. Whose sole purpose is to monitor my daughter. JARVIS said you took her on a mission, and you came out of that bunker with Loki's scepter, so I thought I could borrow Rhodey's suit and see what this is about."

Well, Ana couldn't say she was surprised. This was so typical of him.

Barton started to laugh hysterically.

"I don't expect you to understand, Barton."

"You don't? I got two kids, man!"

"Really? Are they _your_ kids? Is this not some sort of… cover?"

"No, Tony, this is not a cover. This is my wife, Laura. And these are my kids, Lila and Cooper. Are you happy now?"

"You guys should start a Dads' Club," Ana teased.

"Look, Stark, your daughter is going to be a SHIELD agent, so get used to it. You can't do this every time she goes on a mission."

"Come on, Barton! We both know this is not a standard SHIELD protocol. One way or another, I'm going to find out what's going on, so let's not waste each other's time, okay? What are you guys doing with Loki's scepter?"

"I made a request," Ana blurted out. "To study the scepter. I was hoping to find something that would prevent mind control." Her dad wasn't going to give up. Maybe Agent Weaver was right to think she would never be a SHIELD agent. She had a father who could build a satellite just to watch over her. She didn't blame him, though. She knew he still hadn't forgiven himself for what Killian had done to her. Yes, maybe it was a bit embarrassing, but such things didn't matter anymore. She didn't know how much time they had left. She didn't know when Thanos would come, and what he would do to them when he did. Nothing in this world was worth breaking her dad's heart over.

"You know what, I'm calling Fury," Barton announced. "This is getting out of hand."

"Let's get inside," Laura suggested. On their way back to the house, Ana shot her an apologetic look. Laura just smiled in response. She _was_ a patient woman.

They gathered in the living room. Barton pulled out a flip phone and dialed a number. "This is Agent Clint Barton. Voice command, Emergency Protocol One. I repeat, Emergency Protocol One.

"Hello?" the man on the other end of the line said.

Barton frowned. "This was supposed to be a secure connection to Director Fury's personal line. Who the hell are you?"

"Director Fury is dead."

"What?"

The other man hung up without saying anything else.

The deafening silence in the Bartons' living room was only broken when Tony Stark's phone pinged. He took it out, and looked at the screen in utter shock for a moment.

"Someone turn on the news," he muttered, passing the phone to Ana.

JARVIS had notified him of the currently trending hashtags on Twitter, some of which were as followed:

 _#shieldra_

 _#datadump_

 _#projectinsight_

 _#worlddomination_

 _#wherearetheavengers_

When Laura turned on the TV, they saw the footage of the Triskelion being destroyed by three helicarriers. Ana immediately recognized the design of the new repulsor engines. It was her dad's. And somehow, it had apparently fallen into the wrong hands. The reporter was saying something about SHIELD being compromised by HYDRA.

…

Even something as shocking as the return of a Nazi death cult seemed quite mundane after what Ana had seen in that vault. She wasn't even sure how to feel about this. Why had her future self not warned her about HYDRA? To preserve some of the original timeline? Or was it because there hadn't been enough time to cover that part? Or maybe, SHIELD was simply irrelevant to the endgame. Ana had been wrong to think otherwise.

Fury was a different story, though. He must have seen this coming somehow. He must have wanted to send Ana a message and secure Loki's scepter before things went south. Still, Ana didn't really believe he was dead. If the whole world thought Nick Fury was dead, he probably wasn't dead.

"Can you fly that quinjet?" Barton asked her dad.

"I can. But is it a good idea to fly around with a SHIELD quinjet right now?"

"Technically, it doesn't belong to SHIELD."

"Do you think Fury knew this would happen?"

"Well, it all makes sense now. This place is kept off the records, so even HYDRA doesn't know about it, and you're one of the few civilians who has the means to secure an alien artifact."

"We'll take the scepter to the Avengers Tower, then."

He called Pepper, who was, as expected, worried sick, and let her know that they were safe, then sent the War Machine suit back to Rhodey before they went to the unofficial SHIELD quinjet waiting just outside the farm.

"Maybe Thor will want to take it to Asgard," Barton said as he gave them the scepter.

"Maybe. But until then, it's our problem."

"Wait," Ana cried before they boarded. "There's something else you guys should know."

She was tired of secrets. She already felt terribly guilty about all the lies she had to tell her dad; she didn't want to keep other people's secrets as well. From now on, she was going to be as honest as possible.

Everyone looked at her expectantly.

"Coulson is alive. There, off my chest…"

"What?" they cried.

Ana then proceeded to tell them how she figured out Coulson was alive and how she met his protégée at the Academy.

…

The data dump was massive, and most of it was still encrypted, but the Starks knew where to start: Project Insight. Apparently, HYDRA had been planning to start its reign with a purge. Everyone who posed a potential threat to HYDRA would have been killed by the Insight helicarriers. An algorithm to decide who would be a problem someday… It sounded crazy, yet it actually made perfect sense. And the guy who made this algorithm, Arnim Zola? Before his death, he had transferred his consciousness into a computer. Back in 1972.

"And I thought you were a mad scientist," she told her dad.

"Not mad enough for these bastards, apparently."

Of course, as expected, he was blaming himself for not seeing HYDRA coming. Ana decided to do him a favor and admit her mistake. "Go on, Dad. Say it."

He let the auto-pilot take over, and then turned in his seat to face her. "Say what?"

"Don't you want to give me the _'I told you so'_ speech?"

"I want to make sure you're okay. Are you still scratching your hands in your sleep?" he asked, inspecting her hands. He wasn't judging her, no. As always, he understood her better than anyone else. He knew what Killian had really wanted to take from her. It wasn't just her hands, it was her life. He knew how much precision an engineer's job required, and that no prosthetic hands would be good enough for someone like her. That was why he had done the impossible and found a way to give her her life back. And he also knew that she didn't have self-harming tendencies. On the contrary, the scratches only happened because her subconscious was desperate to make sure her hands were where they were supposed to be.

"Sometimes. I left my gloves at the Academy."

"That's alright, I'll make you a new pair. Anyway, if it's going to help you feel better, yeah, _I told you so_. Oh, and you should've told me about Coulson."

"Well, I just did, didn't I?"

"You should've told me _before_ SHIELD was torn apart," he said sharply.

 _As honest as possible_ , she reminded herself. "If it's any consolation, I had my own agenda when I was at the Academy. I was hoping to earn Fury's trust and become a part of his inner circle."

"Why?"

"Because like you said, his secrets had secrets. And some of those secrets could help us protect ourselves better. If I'd told you about Coulson, you would've told everyone else, and they would've realized I was more loyal to you than I was to SHIELD."

"Is this supposed to make me feel better?" he asked, but his face had softened. "Your plan to rise to the ranks of _Fury's Angels_?"

" _Fury's Angels_?"

"Hill, Romanoff, and who knows what other ridiculously attractive femme fatales he has at his disposal…"

 _Sigyn_ , she thought. Sigyn was the third Angel, indeed. Ana tried to picture Hill, Romanoff, and Sigyn sitting in front of a speaker box, and saying _"Good morning, Fury!"_ in unison. Okay, she was never going to be able to unsee that now.

"I don't blame you, kid. This world needs protection. You were just trying to do your part."

"And you were trying to do yours. Those repulsor engines…"

"I designed them, yeah. Looks like I was helping HYDRA murder 20 million people…"

Ana felt awful for her dad. No matter how careful he was, someone always found a way to use his own inventions against him. It was almost like a curse. "You couldn't have known, Dad."

"I should've. You and Pepper were on Zola's algorithm, Ana!"

"So were you! You thought you were helping the good guys. We needed SHIELD, Dad. Everyone keeps saying how much the world has changed since the Battle of New York, but it hasn't changed enough if you ask me."

"I know exactly what you mean."

"Are you still having nightmares about aliens?"

"No. I know the threat is still out there, but I'll find healthier ways to deal with it."

"So, what will happen now?"

"We'll take reigns. Privatize global security."

"Does that mean you're going to build a new Iron Legion?"

"Yeah, but this time I have something different in mind."

"Will Pepper be okay with that?"

"She's a realist. She'll understand."

"Hey, at least you kept your promise to her."

"What do you mean?"

"You had to borrow Rhodey's suit to go after me. That means you _really_ don't have a suit stashed away somewhere."

"Yeah, having a sidekick has its perks."

"Don't let Rhodey hear that. He hates being called a sidekick."

"What about you?"

"What?"

"Maybe we should build you a suit, too."

The sudden offer had caught her completely off-guard. She started to laugh hysterically.

"Kid? Are you okay?"

She took a deep breath to steady herself. "I'm okay. It's just… I thought you'd lock me in an impenetrable vault or something after what happened today. Instead, you want to give me a suit. Why?"

"Do you know the definition of insanity?"

"Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result?"

"I've been trying to keep the world at bay since I found you on my doorstep, but it doesn't really work, does it? You're a Stark, Ana. You were born to shape the future. That means you'll have enemies. I taught you how to be a scientist. Now it's time I teach you how to be a hero."

"Why do you think I want to be a hero?"

"I think you made it pretty obvious when you faced Loki alone. Or when you tried to rescue Pepper."

 _As honest as possible_ , she reminded herself. "I've never told you how Loki's scepter works, have I?"

There was a moment of stiff silence, but he didn't freak out. Maybe she could tell him now. If she broke it to him really, really carefully, he might be able to handle the truth.

"It shows you a vision," she continued.

"What kind of vision?"

"I don't know what the others saw. But I saw Pepper. She was dead. And then you said it was my fault. You wanted to kill me. Loki saved me from you. That was what I saw."

"I should've never let Thor take him back to Asgard. Not alive, at least…"

"I didn't tell it to upset you, Dad. I just thought you deserved to know. You're not the reason I tried to save Pepper. _I_ let that vision get to me. Not you. Not even Loki. As for Loki, don't blame yourself for what he did to me either. I didn't decide to meet him after your speech about understanding gods and magic. I'd made up my mind long before that. I just… had to."

"Why?"

"To see the big picture. Have you ever wondered how Loki might have got himself an army?"

"You thought he wasn't alone… That he was working with someone else?"

"Or maybe, _for_ someone else. Unwillingly. That vision I'm talking about wasn't entirely convincing. I mean, you were trying to kill me with a spear. A part of me knew that it was absolutely ridiculous. Loki was slipping. Someone else was pulling his strings, and he wasn't very happy about it. And I know—Dad, are you okay?"

 _So much for healthy coping mechanisms_ , Ana thought. She had never actually seen him have an anxiety attack before, and now she wished she didn't have to see it now either. The fear in his eyes, the way he struggled to breathe… Perhaps for the first time, she actually realized, contrary to popular belief, he wasn't larger than life. It scared her. She didn't know what to do with herself while he looked so powerless.

"This is not… supposed to… happen… Not… anymore."

Even now, he was putting up an admirable effort to comfort her, instead of focusing on himself. It was heartbreaking. "It's okay, Dad. It's been a long day. It's okay. We're okay. I'm so sorry, I wasn't—"

"Come here."

He pulled Ana into a hug, and held her in his arms tightly, as if Thanos could come to take her away any moment. _He knows_ , she thought. He didn't need a warning from the future to know that someone was coming for them. Was it because of his paternal instincts, or something he had seen in that wormhole, Ana wasn't sure.

Her presence was clearly helping him calm down, so Ana just closed her eyes and let him hold her as long as he wanted. She, too, needed this. But to be honest, she didn't feel guilty about lying to him anymore. On the contrary, she was glad that she had kept her mouth shut. It was the only way she knew how to protect him. The only question was, for how long?

He pressed a kiss on her temple before releasing her.

"I don't know what came over me. This doesn't happen anymore, I swear."

"I'm sorry, Dad."

"For what?"

"For what I said earlier. It was ridiculous. I was sounding like one of those conspiracy theorists."

"No, Ana. It's not a conspiracy theory. It's the endgame. Everyone thinks I'm paranoid, but now I know I'm not. There's someone else who sees the big picture. My own daughter. My greatest creation. And if she can accept the truth without losing her mind, I should be able to do the same."

 _But you can't, can you?_ "Here, Dad, have some water," she said, and went to fetch him a bottle of water to avoid meeting his gaze.

He took a sip of water. "Don't leave me again, kid."

"I won't. I belong at Stark Industries, I know that now."

"Why? Did something happen at the Academy?"

"It's not such a big deal, but my SO said—"

He almost choked on the water he was drinking. "Your WHAT?"

"Supervising Officer," she explained. Okay, they were having a rough day, but it didn't change the fact that his reaction was hilarious. She wished she had recorded it. "Anyway, she said I didn't belong in SHIELD. _Deeply rooted trust issues_ … That's what's written in my personal file. Now it's somewhere on the internet."

"Don't worry, I'm pretty sure mine is worse. And what about _their_ trust issues? They didn't let you bring JARVIS in!"

Much to his frustration, when she had first arrived the campus, Agent Weaver had made her remove JARVIS from her laptop, tablet, and phone. JARVIS had a bad reputation in SHIELD after what her dad had done on the helicarrier. As for Ana, getting separated from JARVIS had bruised her pride, but she had tried not to think much about it. It didn't matter anymore, though. She was going home.


	9. Chapter 9

They weren't in the loop.

Ana had analyzed all three DNA samples. The other Ana had never been injected with Extremis; there was no trace of the virus. The relief was so great that she was almost grateful to Killian for chopping her hands off. Almost. But she had been so absorbed in her own problems that it hadn't even occurred to her that the people at the Academy might have been in danger. She had just assumed that the campus had been evacuated or something. She couldn't have been more wrong.

After analyzing the DNA samples, she had finally thought of using her dad's secret surveillance satellite to see what had happened at the Academy. It had been a massacre. HYDRA had laid siege to the campus, and released a giant beast—probably an enhanced individual—to slaughter everyone who was loyal to SHIELD. Later, a bunch of SHIELD quinjets had arrived and rescued the survivors, but Ana didn't even want to know what had happened inside the buildings until then.

 _It's not your fault_ , she told herself. Even if she had known, she couldn't have done anything to save them. Their blood was on Fury's hands. He knew something was going to happen. He should have given orders to evacuate the Academy. Still, she didn't think she could sleep tonight. So, she decided to take a page out of her dad's book, and do some tinkering to distract herself. The scepter was down in the bunker, waiting to be studied…

At the Academy, she had decided to take Neuroscience 101, hoping it would help her develop something that could protect people from any form of mind control. She had thought the Arc Reactor would be the key, because it had protected her dad from Loki's scepter. She had shared these opinions with her professors, but they had said that the Arc Reactor had no effect on brain chemistry. That it had only protected her dad because it was an inorganic prosthesis. Fearing that she might trigger another anxiety attack, she hadn't asked her dad anything, but both Bruce and Shuri had agreed with the SHIELD professors. Well, Ana was still an amateur in neuroscience, but she could feel that there was a connection between the scepter and the Arc Reactor. A connection she couldn't explain, and it was starting to bother her.

Apparently, she wasn't the only one who wanted to spend this night studying an alien artifact.

"Busted," her dad said when he got caught heading out of the bunker with the scepter in his hand.

"Relax, Dad. I was here for the scepter, too. Who am I to judge?"

"Right. Come on, let's go."

They went to his private lab. Dum-E and U started chirping happily when they noticed her. Sometimes, Ana wondered how sentient those two actually were.

"Yep, your little sis is home," he said, leaving the scepter for JARVIS to scan.

"So, what do you want to do with the scepter?"

He started pacing up and down wildly, which meant that he had something big in mind. "What you said earlier, about aliens… It got me thinking."

"Oh, you're going to make me regret saying that, aren't you?"

"But it's the truth, Ana! We should be doing something, don't you agree?"

"Like what?"

"Like, a global peacekeeping program, commanding a suit of armor around the world. Just think about it. We'd never have to worry about aliens again."

"You can't just build a suit of armor around the world, Dad. People will feel threatened. Do you remember what it was like when you first became Iron Man?"

"This will be even worse, I know. I don't care. I can take it. As long as I have you and Pepper by my side, I can take anything."

"If you're really going to do this, why don't you just use JARVIS?"

"JARVIS can't break his protocols to take initiative. No offense, buddy."

"None taken, sir."

"Artificial Intelligence, then?" Ana gasped. "Do you want to use the scepter to create Artificial Intelligence?"

"Loki used this joystick to command an entire army, right? What if there's some form of AI hidden inside? All we have to do is to reverse engineer it."

Well, that was a scary thought. And he was probably right, which was even scarier. Artificial Intelligence was still a fantasy. Even in Wakanda, as far as she knew. But then, probably not for aliens.

"You don't seem thrilled…"

"Because I'm not."

"Why not?"

She shrugged.

"Ana, you're one of the few people whose opinions I actually respect, so tell me. Why do you think this is a bad idea?"

"Because if I'm right, and Loki was working for someone else, I don't think whatever is in that scepter is on our side." This was going to give him nightmares, she knew. But it had to be said, and he would only take the warning seriously if it came from her. She was indeed one of the few people whose opinions he valued.

"Do you think the scepter still serves… whoever Loki took it from?" he asked gravely. Good. He hadn't dismissed the possibility right away.

"Exactly. If I were an alien warmonger, I wouldn't give away such a powerful artifact without a safeguard. That would be too much of a gamble."

"Well, there's only one way to find out… JARVIS, show us what you got."

They had been wrong, though. There was no hidden AI in the scepter. Other than a power source in the center, the blue gem was hollow.

Her dad was now pouting like a little kid who had lost his favorite toy. Ana put a hand on his shoulder. "Maybe we were overthinking it, Dad. Maybe the scepter was just a symbol for the Chitauri."

"Maybe," he agreed. "Okay, whatever… What about the power source?"

"The energy readings show a notable resemblance to the Tesseract's, sir. I can run more comprehensive tests if you wish."

So, there _was_ a connection, as she had thought. The scepter had similar energy readings to the Tesseract's, on which the Arc Reactor had been based… It still didn't explain how the Arc Reactor could protect someone from the scepter, though.

"Yeah, you do that," he told JARVIS, then turned to Ana. "So, are you going to help me build the new Iron Legion?"

"I am." It was the perfect excuse to spend more time together.

"Good. What about my other offer?"

Right, the suit… "I don't think I have what it takes to be a hero. And even if I decided to be one, I wouldn't take one of your suits."

"You don't like them much, do you?"

"No, they're awesome. It's just… _You_ are Iron Man, Dad. It's something that defines you. I know you don't want it to become a mantle. You made an exception for Rhodey, but I can't ask you to make another exception for me."

"What makes you think I don't want it to become a mantle?"

The question made her realize she didn't have an actual answer for that. "I don't know. I guess I just assume."

"Yeah, you do that a lot. You're a scientist, kid. You should start asking more questions and making fewer assumptions."

"I missed your lectures."

"That wasn't… a lecture. Was it a lecture?"

"Yeah, that was a lecture."

He grimaced. "I'm becoming like my dad, aren't I?"

"I don't know, I never met him. Anyway, if you really wanted me to be a badass, why didn't you just let me keep the Extremis powers?"

"Honey, we talked about this. If SHIELD had found out—"

"SHIELD is gone! And your version of Extremis is safe."

"We're not going to test that theory on you," he said firmly. "You're not a lab experiment. You're my daughter."

"Exactly! I trusted _you_ to fix me. Do you think I'd let anyone else mess with my DNA? I want to be able to protect myself, but I want a power that can't be taken away from me. Didn't you once say you'd sleep a lot better if I were tougher than I looked?"

"Things were… different back then. Do you think Extremis can't be taken from you? You're right, the formula is stable. Some people would do anything to get that formula. _Anything_. And now it's in your body. I don't want you to end up getting dissected in some lab."

When he put it like that, the suit suddenly looked like a much better option. Ana was so desperate to be stronger these days that the possibility hadn't even occurred to her. "Right…"

"You don't need anything that comes out of a bottle to make you special. You were born special," he added. Apparently, her safety wasn't his only concern.

"Oh, so you're comparing me to Captain America… Relax, Dad, he's not my role-model. And he'll never be."

Everyone thought Tony Stark and Steve Rogers had put their differences aside after the Battle of New York, but well… Some wounds never truly healed. And Cap was cool and all, but not breaking her dad's heart was more important for Ana.

"Why not?" he asked, although he seemed visibly relieved that his daughter wasn't a Captain America fan.

"He called my tower ugly."

He laughed.

"Don't worry, Dad, I'm not going to do what Grandpa did to you. I'm not going to choose Cap as my hero."

"You know, you've never actually told me what you think of my dad."

"Why do you ask?"

"I'm just curious."

Ana thought for a moment. "The thing is, I was angry with him at first, when I first found out how he broke your heart, but not anymore. Sure, he made mistakes, but it doesn't change the fact that he was a great man. A legend. And he obviously loved you. I wish we could hear his side of the story. But that's not going to happen, so, I try not to judge him too harshly."

"Fair enough. Well, I guess I'm going to try and get some sleep. You should do the same."

"I just can't stop thinking about what happened at the Academy."

"It wasn't your fault, Ana. But you already know that."

"I do."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not yet. Goodnight, Dad."

"Goodnight, kid."

For the first time in a long time, Ana felt truly at peace, and wondered how long this would last.

…

Ana had no idea why most people thought Tony Stark's private lab would be a place of chaos and madness. She, for one, always considered it more of a sanctuary, safely away from the real chaos and madness out there. She had missed being here.

The scepter had turned out to be a dead end for both Ana and her dad. He hadn't been able to find any form of AI in it, and she still couldn't find any scientific proof to explain its connection to the Arc Reactor. So, they had decided to focus on the new Iron Legion instead.

Ana was left with the task of writing a software for the Iron Legion droids—their main purpose would be to protect civilians, so it was an easy task—while her dad and Bruce were busy converting the secret surveillance satellite into something else.

"Why are we calling it Veronica?" she asked. Tony Stark would never give his inventions random names, but even Ana didn't know the story behind this one.

"Because, Bruce used to have a girlfriend named Betty," her dad replied, and Bruce's face turned a hilarious shade of red. Well, at least he wasn't turning green. "And now he's going to have to look over his shoulder for Veronica."

"I still don't get it…"

"Uhm, Betty and Veronica? _Best friends and worst enemies_? You didn't get the reference? Oh, come on!"

"How do you even know about Betty?" Bruce asked.

He smirked mischievously. "After the Harlem Incident, SHIELD sent me to stop General Ross from doing something extremely stupid. Anyway, we ended up having a little chat about daughters."

Bruce frowned. "Did he threaten Ana?"

"No, I guess he just wanted to play the empathy card."

Ana knew SHIELD had given her dad a mission to annoy the shit out of General Ross. And he must have succeeded, because Ross had tried to have him removed from the bar. But her dad had bought the bar, and had it demolished in the end. Yes, Tony Stark loved petty revenge. But if Ross had threatened Ana, things would have been much uglier.

Bruce smiled. "Didn't go well for him, did it?"

"Well, unlike the General, I've never had to worry about any boyfriends, so, no."

Ana sighed. This conversation had helped her to remember that people expected her to have a boyfriend at some point. But she was simply not interested. And thankfully, men around her mostly left her alone. She was too busy, too guarded, and they could somehow sense that she was just not worth the trouble. Sooner or later, people would realize that she was… different. In a perfect world, this would be her biggest problem. But the world was far from perfect.

Still, she decided to deflect the conversation from herself. "So, this Betty is…"

"The General's daughter, yeah."

"I haven't seen Betty in years," Bruce said defensively. "She's moved on."

He gave Bruce's shoulder a squeeze. "Her loss, buddy."

Suddenly, Pepper barged into the lab. "Good, you're all here… I just got a call from our DC office. Guess who paid them a visit? Maria Hill."

"She wants protection," her dad said.

Pepper nodded. "HR wasn't sure what to do with her, so they called me. I think we could use someone like her, but… What do you guys say?"

Ana hadn't met Maria Hill yet, but everyone knew she was Fury's right-hand woman, which meant that she probably knew all of his secrets. Including the time-traveler in the cryo chamber. In that case, hiring her might be a bad idea. But refusing to hire her would be even worse.

"If we want to privatize global security, we're going to need her," she said quickly.

Bruce simply shrugged.

"Okay," her dad said. "But I got one condition."

Pepper smiled. "A meeting with Coulson?"

"How did you know?"

"You're not as unpredictable as you think you are."

"This is why I love you."

Pepper shook her head, but she was still smiling. "Okay, then. I'll hire her."

After Pepper left, Ana returned to coding the Iron Legion software, but she was growing too restless to focus on anything, so after ten minutes, she gave up.

"I think I'll stretch my legs a bit," she announced. "You guys need anything?"

They both shook their heads. "No."

Once she reached her office, she locked the door and told JARVIS to activate the Nexus Protocol. JARVIS, as usual, obeyed the command.

"Secure office. Call Maria Hill." Now that she was an employee, JARVIS probably had her number.

Hill answered the phone after the third ring. "Hello?"

"Maria Hill? This is Ana Stark."

"Oh… Hello, Ms. Stark."

"Can you talk?"

"Yes."

"I need to see Fury."

"Fury is dead."

"Like Coulson?"

"You just couldn't keep your mouth shut, could you?"

"You should've kept your secrets better," she said insinuatingly.

"Is this about the scepter?"

Even if she knew about the other thing, she was obviously going to pretend like she didn't. "That's classified."

She groaned. "Oh, you didn't just say that…"

"Sorry, I couldn't resist."

"Look, once I'm done with these government hearings, I'll come to New York and complete your training myself."

"My training? What do you mean?"

" _He_ asked me to do it. Don't worry, no one expects you to become the next Black Widow. You're too famous, and don't even have the talent for that sort of thing. You wouldn't have lasted a month at the Operations. But he thinks you need to learn how to handle yourself."

"Wow, you really don't know how to make friends, do you?"

"Well, you don't strike me as the social butterfly type either."

"Yeah, we'll get along just fine."

"You'll hear from him, just be patient."

"Okay. Good luck with the hearings. Try not to get waterboarded."

"My God, you're worse than Tony…"

"Bye," she said, and hung up. If four months at the Academy had taught her anything, it was the fact that playing nice with these spies wouldn't get you anywhere.

…

Ana was hoping to spend the night in the bed with an ice pack—her first sparring session with Maria Hill had left her with sore muscles and a giant bruise on her hip—when JARVIS announced Thor's arrival. But it was ten in the evening, so there was no one at the reception desk, and her dad was out on a date with Pepper.

She was surprised to hear that the Asgardian had simply walked through the front door like normal people would do, but the moment she saw him, he indeed looked… _normal_. He was wearing a pair of cargo pants, a plain khaki sweatshirt, and a jean jacket. His long blond hair had also been tied into a ponytail. Still, normal people didn't carry a magic hammer around with them.

He put the suitcase and the hammer down when he saw Ana, and hold out his arms for a hug. "Ana! It's so good to see you again!"

"Hey, Thor. What a nice surp—Ouch!" Apparently, Thor sometimes still forgot how fragile humans were. The soreness didn't help much either.

He released her. "Sorry."

"So, I assume you're here to stay?" she asked, looking at the suitcase.

"Aye. What about the others?"

"Well, for now, they all have their solo missions. Maria Hill is gathering all the intel she can. But Bruce is here… JARVIS, where's Bruce?"

"Dr. Banner is asleep. Do you want me to wake him up?"

"No need for that, JARVIS, just leave him be."

"What about your father?" Thor asked.

"He's out on a date with Pepper. They won't be back before midnight. Let's get you settled, shall we?"

He grabbed the suitcase and the hammer, then followed Ana into the elevator.

"So, how long have you been on Earth?"

"Since the Convergence."

"The Convergence? Is that what happened in London?"

"We fought the Dark Elves. Their leader, Malekith, wanted to plunge the Nine Realms into eternal darkness."

"Huh. Where are the Dark Elves now? Did you send them all back to Morrowind?"

Thor frowning in utter confusion like this was a hilarious thing to see. "I don't know where Morrowind is, but their realm is called Svartalfheim. And rest easy, the Dark Elves are gone for good."

The elevator stopped at the 15th floor, where the Avengers' apartments were, and they got out.

"JARVIS, will you unlock Apartment #2, please?"

JARVIS did as he was told.

"JARVIS controls all the locks in the building, but I'll get you an actual key, just in case," she said as she led Thor into the apartment.

Thor nodded, looking around. He seemed pleased with his new home. While he was busy exploring the apartment, Ana tried to lift Mjolnir without him seeing it. It was more out of desperation than curiosity. Some lightening power would be nice.

 _Please_ , she thought as she wrapped her fingers around the handle. _Please, I just want to protect my dad._

But no matter how hard she pulled, Mjolnir didn't even move. Ana let go of the handle just before Thor turned around to face her again, and smiled. "I think it has all the basics, but if there's anything else you need, just let me know."

"There's one thing, actually. Before I came here, I spoke with my father. He has a message for you."

"For me?"

"Odin knows you're in possession of Loki's scepter. He wants you to keep and study it."

"What?"

"I am as astonished as you are, Ana. In the past, my father rarely concerned himself with mortal affairs. But this time, he told me that it was a mistake. That he was being… sloppy."

" _Sloppy_? Is that what he said?"

Thor chuckled. "A true king is not afraid to admit his mistakes."

Thankfully, Ana had been able to force herself to remain composed. _Loki, you son of a bitch…_ He was either posing as Odin, or turned his adoptive father into a puppet.

"And he told me to answer any questions you have about the Infinity Stones," he went on.

She thought her heart would stop. "The Infinity Stones?"

"Odin said the scepter contained the Mind Stone. If you're to study an Infinity Stone, first you need to understand how powerful and dangerous it is."

"How many more Infinity Stones are there?"

"There are six Infinity Stones. Like I said, the scepter has the Mind Stone, and the Tesseract the Space Stone. Jane discovered the Reality Stone by accident during the Convergence. My friends took it to another galaxy once the Dark Elves were defeated. But even Odin doesn't know where the Power, Time, and Soul Stones are."

"What exactly are they?"

"Before creation, there were six singularities. When the universe came into existence, these singularities were forged into these stones by the Cosmic Entities."

"So, they're the remnants of the Big Bang? Do you know what the Big Bang is?"

"Aye, Jane once said it is how you mortals describe the creation of the universe. As for your first question, yes, in a way, they are the remnants of the Big Bang. But they're also much more than that. They're the greatest power in the universe, unparalleled in their destructive capabilities."

"If someone, let's say, had all the six stones, they could destroy the world, right?"

His eyes widened in fear, and Ana decided that it was quite disturbing to see that the Infinity Stones could frighten even someone like Thor. " _Destroy the world_? Such a power could destroy the universe, Ana."

"But we have nothing to fear, do we? I mean, who could even harness that power without dying? That would be suicide."

"You're right. Only a handful of beings can use the Infinity Stones without dying. My father, for example. That's why a millennium ago he didn't want to keep the Tesseract in his vault and decided to hide it on Midgard instead. But now that three stones have resurfaced, it's a risk we have to take. One of the stones must remain in Asgard. There's no other way."

Suddenly, it all started to make sense. The connection between the scepter and the Arc Reactor… and the Tesseract. It had nothing to do with brain chemistry.

 _How could I be so blind?_

"The Tesseract can't fight against itself," she mumbled.

"I beg your pardon?"

"It's… nothing. Just something Dr. Selvig told me."

"Oh, yes… Using the scepter to shut down the portal, that was really clever, indeed."

"I know."

"Ana? Are you alright?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm okay."

Indeed, Ana was more than okay. She was just too busy having the greatest eureka moment of her life. "How is Loki, by the way?"

"Loki is dead."

"Oh…"

"Look, I know what he did to you. I don't expect you forgive him, but you should know that he died defending the Nine Realms."

"Well, he was your brother, after all… I'm so sorry for your loss. And thanks for the chat. It was very… enlightening."

"Anytime."

"See you around!"

She ran back to her room and made a video call to Shuri. She needed another genius to confirm her theory, or she was going to lose her mind.

"What's up, colonizer?" Shuri mumbled huskily when she finally answered the call, rubbing her eyes.

"I know what the Nexus is!" Her voice had come out much louder than intended. The walls in the tower were soundproof, but maybe she should be more careful, just in case.

Shuri froze for a second. "It's five in the morning here, so give me a minute, okay?" she then said.

Ana drummed her fingers on the desk impatiently as Shuri sat up in the bed.

"I'm all ears," she announced at last.

"My future self didn't want me in New York so that I could speak with Loki. She just wanted me to see!"

"See what?"

"Why the scepter didn't work on my dad!"

"I thought we both agreed that you were overthinking it."

"That was because we didn't know what the Infinity Stones were!"

"Do we now?"

"Thor is here. His father wants me to keep the scepter. And he told Thor to answer any questions I might have about the Infinity Stones. But I think his father is… Loki."

"What?"

"He must have somehow faked his death and is now posing as Odin. Or maybe he's controlling him. I don't know."

"Whatever. Tell me about the Infinity Stones."

"They're the remnants of the Big Bang. There's six of them. Let's see… Space, Mind, Reality, Power, Time, and Soul. The thing is, the Tesseract contains the Space Stone, and Loki's scepter the Mind Stone. Thor said they sent the Reality Stone to another galaxy, but we can worry about that later."

"So, what does this have anything to do with the Arc Reactor?"

"Forget about the Arc Reactor! It was the element in its core! _'The Tesseract cannot fight against itself.'_ That's how Erik Selvig was able to build a kill switch for the portal."

"Wait, are you saying the element…"

"My grandfather based it on the Tesseract. That's how he started building the Nexus. I think even he didn't know what he started. But just think about it. The name itself was the biggest clue. 'Nexus' means either a core, or a connected group… In this case, it's both. An element for each stone."

Shuri's jaw almost dropped.

"Do you think I'm right? Say something…"

"At first, I thought the Nexus was some kind of weapon, but this… This actually makes perfect sense. It will neutralize the Infinity Stones. Even Thanos gets all of them, he won't be able to use it on someone who has the Nexus."

"We need to start working on the Mind Stone as soon as possible. I'll send you everything we have on the scepter. You still have a team in Wakanda, right?"

"Uhm, actually, I'm coming to New York again."

"What?"

"T'Challa and I are coming to New York. He wants to help the Avengers to end HYDRA for good."

"That's awesome news… But why?"

"We've been going through the leaked files since SHIELD fell. It looks like one of HYDRA's leaders can take us to Ullyses Klaue."

"The guy who stole Vibranium from you?"

"Yes. He has business connections with Baron Von Strucker. One of the last heads of HYDRA. But to be honest, this is just the official excuse. T'Challa wants to see the Avengers in action. He wants to see how good they are. My father has one condition, though. Our involvement in this war will remain a secret."

"Uhm, with all due respect, I don't think a superhero who dresses up as a big cat with vibranium claws will go unnoticed."

"No, but people don't have to know who is inside the suit."

Ana thought for a moment. "A mysterious Avenger… That can be arranged."

"Great!"

"Okay. Sorry I woke you up so early."

"Well, it was absolutely worth it. Tell your dad to expect a call from T'Challa soon, will you?"

"I will. Bye."

"Goodnight."

After the call ended, Ana looked at the ceiling and sighed, wondering if Loki was watching her. "I still don't like you…"

…

The thing about secrets was that they always came out. Always.

People had found out that Ana Stark had been studying at the Academy of Science and Technology when SHIELD had fallen. And they had also found out that she had mysteriously been pulled out before shit had hit the fan. And now, the families of the cadets who had been killed during the HYDRA siege had gathered around the Avengers Tower, demanding answers.

Ana was watching the protest on TV in her office.

" _Are you saying that the Starks might be HYDRA?"_ the reporter asked a woman.

" _All I'm saying is, if HYDRA successfully infiltrated SHIELD, the Avengers might have been infiltrated as well. Think about it… It was Howard Stark himself who recruited the former HYDRA scientists in the first place. Did he really think they deserved a second chance? Or did he have a secret agenda?"_

" _And his son conveniently decided to become a superhero just before aliens started falling out of the sky. Coincidence? I think not!"_ a man added.

" _But both Tony and Ana Stark were targeted by Project Insight…"_ the reporter reminded them.

" _They're still alive, aren't they? But my son, my Jason… He is not. Because no one came for him during the Uprising."_

People often forgot that there was a fine line between a legitimate correlation and a conspiracy theory. Or, they just loved conspiracy theories. Ana wasn't really worried about them. Stark Industries' best lawyers had been busy proving her innocence. Being on HYDRA's kill list had most certainly helped her case.

"This is outrageous!" Happy cried. "They can't do this, I'm going to—"

"Happy, please don't!"

"Ana, I'm the Head of Security. This is my job."

"These people lost their kids. Give them a break."

"They're trying to turn you into a scapegoat. Tony's going to be pissed."

"I know." She poured herself some Scotch.

Hill had finally arranged a meeting with Coulson and her dad had gone to see him with Thor and Bruce. Ana hoped the protesters would leave in peace before they returned.

"Do you day drink?" Happy asked suspiciously.

"Only when I'm accused of being a Nazi." _And when I'm plotting against evil alien warlords._

"Where's Pepper? Does she know what's going on down there?"

She shrugged. "She's left the decision to me. And I'm saying we should let them be. They're not hurting anyone, and last I checked, freedom of speech was still a constitutional right."

"They're hurting you."

Ana smiled and put a kiss on his cheek. Happy had always been so sweet… And she was almost going to lose him, too. "Thank you for your concern, Happy. But I'll be okay."

"Well, let me know if you change your mind," he said, and left the office.

Honestly, these accusations were the least of her concerns. She had always thought things would be easier once she figured out what the Nexus was, but she couldn't have been more wrong. True, she had felt so thrilled at first. But soon, she had realized she didn't know how to create an element based on the Mind Stone. Unfortunately, neither did Shuri. Even if they found a way, there were still four more elements to worry about. Howard Stark had dedicated his entire life to the theorization of one element, and even then, he had had to rely on his son to actually create it. Ana didn't have that much time. And even if they managed to build the Nexus, what then? What were they supposed to do with it? Were they just going to give everyone on the planet a piece of Nexus? The future Ana had said the Earth had been destroyed… The Nexus couldn't protect them from such a catastrophe. And what about the other planets?

There had to be some sort of cheat. A shortcut… Otherwise, the future Ana wouldn't have sacrificed everything just to be able to tell her to build something that couldn't possibly be built.

"Miss, incoming call with blocked number," JARVIS said, snapping her out of these thoughts.

Ana answered the call. "Hello?"

"Hello, Ana. This is Skye."

"Skye? From SHIELD?"

"Yeah."

"How did you get this number?"

"Does it matter?" she asked harshly. Something wasn't right.

"Is everything okay?"

"No, Ana. Everything is _not_ okay. You told Coulson you'd keep his secret, remember?"

 _Shit_. "Look, I'm sorry if my dad's giving you guys too much trouble. I never thought—"

"His secret wasn't yours to tell!" she snapped.

"Maybe. But SHIELD is gone. I'm not going to apologize for—"

"SHIELD?" Skye cried. "Has it ever occurred to you that Coulson might be an actual human being, with actual feelings, and not just some mindless robot? Wait, do you even care?"

"Of course I care!"

"I don't believe you. You know what, I think I understand why Sigyn warned me about you."

"What? How do you—"

"Just stay away from us, okay? Not everyone in this world wants to be your charity case!"

"No, wait—"

But Skye had already hung up.

Now she had another problem. Great. Just great. Ana took off her blazer, loosened a few buttons of her shirt, and poured herself more Scotch.

…

At least the protesters were gone by the time her dad had returned.

"How did it go?" she asked, but his face had made the answer pretty obvious. Coulson must have refused the job offer.

"Coulson is an idiot. He thinks SHIELD will be reborn from its ashes. He's going to get himself killed. _Again_. And this time, Fury won't be there to save his ass. Neither will I."

No matter what he said, Ana knew he still cared about Coulson. Otherwise, he would simply be indifferent.

"I'd told you not to get too hopeful, Dad. He's an idealist."

"Well, if he changes his mind, he knows where I live… How was _your_ day?"

"Not bad."

"Really? Happy told me about the protest," he said, inspecting the now half-empty bottle of Scotch.

"I think I'm drunk," she admitted. Indeed, she didn't think she could leave the chair she had sunk into. "Sorry, I was—"

"No, I get it, I really do. Just… Try not to do this too often, okay?"

"Okay. I don't even know why I wanted to get drunk. Unlike you, I'm not a happy drunk."

He leaned against the desk and crossed his arms. "At least you're an honest drunk."

"Yeah," she lied.

"It wasn't your fault, kid," he said once again. "You weren't the Director of SHIELD. Hell, you weren't even an agent."

"Do you know what the saddest part is? Most of the cadets weren't even close with their families. Their parents didn't understand how smart their kids were. Or, worse… They understood how smart their kids were, and their expectations were just insane. That's why those cadets were there. They were hoping SHIELD could be their family. Sometimes I forget how lucky I am, Dad. You never expect anything from me."

"As a matter of fact, I do expect one thing from you. I want you to be happy."

"I am happy. It's just…There was a time my greatest fear was that people would think I was a weirdo. Now everyone thinks I'm a terrorist."

"No one thinks you're terrorist. They're just looking for a scapegoat. And you're easy to blame. They don't feel guilty when they take their anger on you, because they think you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth."

"Are they wrong?"

"Did you know that my dad was a 'rags to riches' type of guy?"

"No."

"He grew up on the lower east side. His father sold fruit, his mother sewed shirtwaists for a factory. He told me the same story every time he wanted to remind me how lucky I was. But the question is, if you'd been born with nothing, like my dad, how long would it take you to build a Fortune 500 company from scratch?"

"I don't know, Dad. I'm not a risk-taker. I think I'd just work for someone else."

"No, that's irrelevant to my question. Your insecurities are the result of my mistakes. I think, under different circumstances, you'd be a great entrepreneur."

Ana chuckled. Tony Stark could turn into the harshest self-critic in the world just to make her feel better. But he was wrong. He wasn't responsible for her "insecurities." She hadn't been born to be a fighter. She just didn't have it in her. Once Thanos was dealt with, she didn't want to go through anything like this ever again.

"Anyway, my point is, you deserve the life you have now. Don't let anyone convince you otherwise. Just because your mind works exceptionally faster than other people's doesn't mean it doesn't have any work to do at all. It's not like there's a magic book that shows us everything we want to know."

She froze. Actually, there was. Or, there might be. A magic book that could show her what she wanted to know… A lifetime ago, she had heard rumors about such a book. When she was an intern at Momentum Labs. Back then, she had thought it was nonsense. But that was before aliens and time-travelers.

If Ana contacted Dr. Bauer, she might be able to help her. Maybe she had even found the book. Although Ana had thought the woman was crazy, she had kept those thoughts to herself. They had parted on good terms.

Suddenly, she jumped to her feet and gave her dad a big hug. She was still feeling a bit dizzy, but she was too excited to care.

"What?" he asked, puzzled.

"I love you, Dad."

"I love you, too, kid. Are you feeling better now?"

"Much better."

…

When Ana googled Dr. Lucy Bauer, she found out that the woman had died in a lab accident back in 2012. Her body had never been found. Her husband, Joseph Bauer, had also been put in a coma by one of his staff, Eli Marrow, shortly after and Momentum Labs had been shut down. Ana wondered if this had anything to do with that magic book. But even if that was the case, she had to find it.

The Momentum Labs HQ was in Pasadena, not very far from Malibu. So, she told everyone that she wanted to take a break from work and spend a few days in the new Malibu mansion before T'Challa and Shuri came to New York. Thankfully, both her dad and Pepper were too busy to join her. Ana, too, was actually busy, but they assumed she was in dire need of a vacation after everything that had happened with SHIELD. And they also knew how much she loved Malibu.

An architect or a real estate agent would probably say the new mansion was even more exquisite than the first one. But to Ana, it just didn't feel the same. It wasn't the same house where she had grown up. Ana missed that house. To be honest, she missed almost everything about her childhood. She didn't know why most kids were so eager to grow up. Being an adult sucked.

But she wasn't here for nostalgia, so on the night of her arrival, she drove to Pasadena. She hadn't seen Momentum Labs after her internship, but she remembered the place well enough. She just wanted to take a look around to see what she could find.

The building seemed abandoned at first, but when Ana approached the main entrance, she found the door ajar. The seal had been broken. Maybe it had been broken a long time ago, but one could never be too careful, right? Slowly, she slipped inside, with a gun in one hand and a flashlight in the other.

There was someone in the lobby. She could see the silhouette of a tall, dark man approaching her.

"That's about far enough," Ana said, pointing the gun at him.

The man stopped, and hit a button to turn on the lights. "Hello, Ana."

She lowered the gun and turned the flashlight off. Well, she couldn't say she was surprised. Apparently, the guy still had eyes and ears everywhere. "Took you long enough."

Fury, who had traded in his eyepatch for a pair of sunglasses, and now looked more like a hobo than a super spy in that hoodie, shrugged. "I'm a busy man."


	10. Chapter 10

"How did you know I'd be here?"

"Your search history might have given me some ideas."

"You guys have no respect for data privacy, do you?"

He let out an unapologetic chuckle. Funny. She hadn't seen him in years, and yet now it was as if they spoke every day. Apparently, this was what happened when someone knew your deepest, darkest secret, and had chosen not to do anything awful with the knowledge. You shared an unspoken, mutual understanding.

"So, what happened here?" Ana asked, looking around.

"The Darkhold happened."

"The Darkhold?"

"Joseph and Lucy Bauer were after a book that is said to contain infinite knowledge. I assume you're after the same thing as well?"

So, it appeared the "magic book" was the real deal. And it was called the Darkhold, which didn't sound ominous at all. Lovely.

"Okay, first things first… How do you know about the time-traveler?"

"When your father was kidnapped, I was worried that he might have been compromised. So, I—"

"You thought he'd help the terrorists to save his own skin? My dad would never do that!"

"It's my job to doubt people, Ana. Anyway, I knew Tony might try to contact his only family, so I had surveillance on you. A time-traveler wasn't exactly what my men were expecting to find, but well… You Starks are full of surprises. And you can be fiercely secretive when you want to be. Your old man is good. You're even better. That's why I was being subtle about this."

"Is that also why you didn't warn us about Stane?" she asked angrily.

"If I'd told Tony about Stane, he would've demanded proof. What would I have done, then? Show him his daughter's corpse?"

"You could've warned _me_! Stane was almost going to kill us. I thought you were helping us, but—"

"I was helping you, girl. You think you did a great job hiding from Stane? Who do you think covered your tracks until Tony returned from Afghanistan?"

"If the time-traveler hadn't shown up, would your agents have saved me from Stane's men?"

"Of course."

So, that was how she must have survived in the original timeline. Which also meant that the time-traveler had known that her body would be found by Fury. She must have wanted Ana to work with him. Her plan was much more elaborate than Ana had thought.

"You know, I could really use a ride to LA right now," Fury said.

"Okay. But first, I'd like to take a look around the labs. Do you mind?"

"Not at all. In fact, there's something I want to show you. Maybe you can enlighten me."

Fury took her to what looked like an extremely sophisticated reactor. Ana had no idea the Bauers had been working on something like this.

She gasped in awe. "What is this?"

"I was hoping you could tell me."

"I can't tell just by looking at it. I need to run some tests… What are those boxes?" she asked, pointing at a pile of boxes in the corner.

"Don't touch anything!"

"But—"

"Do you want to find the Darkhold, or not?"

"I do."

"Trust me, then. Don't touch anything."

"At least let me do some scannings. Is that okay?"

He nodded.

Ana took out her phone and did an infrared scan of the reactor. Okay, this was weird. There were traces of some kind of transdimensional energy that couldn't normally be found in this world.

"I think I know what the reactor does. It harnesses energy from another dimension. But since you don't let me touch anything, that's all I can say."

She then proceeded to scan the boxes in the corner. There was more of that transdimensional energy, and…

"Fury, I think there's something _alive_ in those boxes! Incorporeal, but definitely alive."

Fury frowned. "Let's go," he said curtly. "And you will not come here again. I want you to promise me."

"Why not?"

"We're going to do this my way. If you go behind my back, I'll tell your dad everything. Do you understand?"

"Fine!"

On their way out, Fury turned off the lights and sealed the main entrance shut. It would indeed be as if no one had been here. Then they got into Ana's black Audi R8.

"How much do you know?" she asked as she started the engine.

"I know enough."

"Thanks to Sigyn, I guess."

"Thanks to _you_ , actually."

"Me?"

"I resurrected the time-traveler for questioning."

Ana almost lost control of the wheel. It was a good thing that the road was empty. "You did WHAT?"

"Calm down, Ana. She knew I was going to resurrect her. That was her Plan B."

 _I knew I shouldn't have asked._ "How did you—"

"With the same medicine we used on Coulson. But that thing had… certain side effects, so once I was done questioning her, we were either going to alter her memories, or put her down. She chose the latter."

"So, her plan was to die not once, but twice… What did she tell you?"

"Not everything. She didn't tell me anything about HYDRA, for example. She chose her words with great caution. But she warned me about the scepter. She said there was something 'evil' inside it, and even SHIELD couldn't be trusted with it. And indeed, there was some sort of AI inside the scepter."

"I hope you got rid of it…"

"Don't worry, it's gone now. Oh, and she also said you'd need the Darkhold."

"Did she tell you where to find it?"

"Not really. She told me that you had to wait until 'you could follow it to Hell.' I suppose we'll have to wait and see. Even I don't know where that book is right now."

 _Geez, can this stuff get any creepier?_ She decided to change the subject. "So, tell me about Sigyn... Who is she? Why does she live on our planet? And how does she know about Thanos?"

"This is her planet, too, you know. Sigyn is half-human."

"What? Really?"

"Yeah, her mother was a Viking, I guess."

"So, is she here to spend more time with her mother's people or something?"

"She came here as the guardian of the Tesseract. After what happened during World War II, Odin decided that humans couldn't be trusted with the cube, so he sent a volunteer to guard it."

"And my grandfather was the one who fished it out of the ocean… That's how they met and became friends."

He nodded. "He convinced her to let humans study the Tesseract. Under her supervision."

"How come no one else in SHIELD knew about her?"

"She only worked with the Director of SHIELD. That was a part of the arrangement."

"She said she owed my grandfather a debt. Do you know what she was talking about?"

"Like I said, she was half-human, half-Asgardian. I suppose back in Asgard that made her feel… inferior."

"She was weaker than your average Asgardian…"

"Yes. And she was the only one. These guys come from a warrior culture. You can imagine how frustrating her situation can be. Sigyn thinks Howard _fixed_ her."

"Fixed her? How?"

"Just before his death, he was able to replicate the super soldier serum. He used it on Sigyn."

"Did my grandfather experiment on an alien?" she gasped. Was there anything Howard Stark had _not_ done?

"Sigyn begged him to use the serum on her."

"And it worked…"

"She still has some weaknesses other Asgardians don't have, but mostly, yeah. It did."

"How does she know about Thanos?"

He snorted. "If you think she tells me everything, you're wrong."

"Does she know about the time-traveler?"

"Yes. But she can't know about the Darkhold. Your future self made that very clear."

"Why can't she know about the Darkhold?"

"Sigyn is very protective of you and your family. And the Darkhold… It's a dangerous thing, Ana. I wish you didn't have to read it either, but… Let's hope your future self knew what she was doing."

"This can't be a coincidence…"

"What can't be a coincidence?"

"My friend, Shuri, saw a vision from that timeline, too. When she was a kid. That's why she approached me in the first place. I received a message from the future. Sigyn must have received some kind of warning as well. And somehow, we all now know each other. Do you think we have an ally?"

"Or, Thanos has an enemy. It's not the same thing."

"I'm sure a guy like Thanos has no shortage of enemies… Do you know why Sigyn warned Skye about me? Is she a part of this as well?"

"She warned Coulson's protégée about you?" he asked, but he didn't sound surprised.

"Yeah. How did they even meet?"

"I think I know how. Sigyn and his sister helped Coulson's team stop a hostile Asgardian before the HYDRA Uprising."

"Her sister? I thought she was the only half-Asgardian?"

"Half-sister," he elaborated. "And Sigyn returned to Asgard with her, so I don't know if we'll ever hear from her again."

"You know why Sigyn warned Skye, don't you?"

"I do. But the less you know, the better."

"Is that what my future self said?"

"Yes," he said simply.

Then, a disturbing thought occurred to Ana. "Wait… You said Grandpa Stark replicated the serum _just before_ his death… Was that car accident really an accident?"

A sad smile played about Fury's lips. "I was never able to prove it. But now, the truth is out there, waiting to be found. Let's see what _you_ can dig up."

"Just to be clear, you're not my mentor or anything… Not when you have so much innocent blood on your hands."

"Is this about what happened at the Academy?"

"You knew something was about to happen! You could've protected them!"

"That would've been too suspicious. I did what I did for the greater good."

"The greater good? Tell that to the families who trusted you with their kids!"

"Survivor's guilt," he said, and his voice gave her the impression that he was speaking from experience. "You're going to have to learn to live with it, Ana."

"Yeah, because of you…"

"And do you think you're innocent? Your father is one of the smartest men in this world, and you've been manipulating him for years! Hell, even Romanoff bought your Little Miss Perfect act! You can't do something like that without a dark side."

"What?" she cried. "I'm not _manipulating_ anybody! I'm just protecting my dad."

Lying to Romanoff had never been difficult, but that was because she had never spent much time with her. But lying to her dad and Pepper? Yeah, that wasn't easy. In fact, she was now grateful to her boarding school experience. Having to sleep under the same roof with her enemies for three years had turned her into a good liar.

"And you used Coulson just to get my attention."

"I didn't—"

"I was doing this long before you were born, girl. Don't teach me my job."

"Still, I wasn't the one who had the power to save those cadets."

"I thought you didn't care much about those kids."

"No. But just because I have trust issues doesn't mean I'm homicidal."

"You remind me of my granddad."

"Why?"

"Granddad loved people. He just didn't trust them much."

"What about my dad? Did the future me say anything about my dad?"

"No," Fury replied, but Ana wasn't sure if it was true.

It was time to ask the perhaps the most important question. "Am I allowed to know when Thanos will come?"

"Some time in 2018. Let's hope we'll be ready when he does."

" _We_? Who else knows?"

"Very few people. All are still loyal to me."

"Is Maria Hill among them?"

"Yes. And before she applied for a job at Stark, I told her to be loyal to you. Not to your dad, not to Ms. Potts. _You_."

"Thanks, I suppose," she muttered. She now had a spy. At her own father's company. Like she didn't have enough guilt on her plate…

"Hill is my most capable and trustworthy agent, Ana. Don't say I didn't do anything for you."

…

By the time she returned to New York, the rest of the Avengers had finally come to stay in the tower. They had a long list of HYDRA bases to raid, and they were ready to start once Prince T'Challa joined them. Ana had vouched for him, and the rest of the team had agreed to keep his secrets.

Everyone had gathered on the balcony to welcome the newest additions to the team. She heard Clint whistle in awe behind her as the Royal Talon Flyer landed. Shuri was the first to emerge from the jet, followed by two women. One was wearing a simple t-shirt and a pair of jeans, but the other was in her traditional Dora Milaje outfit, and had a vibranium spear in her hand. It looked super badass, true, but Ana hoped she had less conspicuous tac gear if she were to fight alongside the Avengers. Otherwise, she would be really difficult to explain to the public.

Shuri and Ana hugged each other. "Welcome back to New York, Princess."

"It's good to be back. Come on, meet Nakia and Okoye."

"Hi!" Ana said. "Shuri told me so much about you."

Shuri nodded. "She knows how badass you are."

The two women politely smiled.

"I know what you're thinking, and no, they won't be joining the Avengers on their missions. They're only here to help T'Challa capture Klaue."

In the meantime, Prince T'Challa himself had finally appeared, with a _"My little sister dragged me into this"_ look on his face, and was greeted by her dad and Pepper. Even without the Panther Habit, he looked like he was someone who had been trained to be a warrior king his whole life. He gave Ana a measuring look as they shook hands. She couldn't blame him. For years, his sister had been obsessed with Ana Maria Stark, believing she was somehow the key to save the world. She had so much hype to live up to.

"I'm glad we finally met, Ana. Shuri speaks so highly of you."

"I just hope I won't disappoint," she said apologetically. She knew she was supposed to tell her dad about Thanos, but she had failed to fulfill that promise.

"Nice to see you again, Mr. Stark!" Shuri exclaimed. "I _loved_ your Mark 42 footage, by the way!"

He turned to Ana. "That video was for your eyes only! Traitor…"

"Don't worry, T'Challa's videos are more embarrassing," Ana said sharply. If Shuri was determined to cause her trouble, Ana would return the favor.

"Shuri!" T'Challa hissed. "I told you to delete that footage…"

Shuri shrugged innocently.

Once the introductions were made, Ana showed Shuri to her apartment, then helped her set up in her lab, where they would be working on the Mind Stone element while the Avengers were busy waging war on HYDRA.

"Hello, Princess Shuri," JARVIS said. "It's so good to see you again."

"I missed you, too, JARVIS," she said, then crossed to the stand where they kept Loki's scepter. "Have you made any breakthroughs?"

"Nope."

"Maybe we should cut the blue gem open… The stone inside would be easier to analyze, then."

"If we destroy the shell, I don't know where else to keep the stone. This thing is pure energy; it would melt through any material."

Shuri rolled her eyes, and took out a tube from one of her crates. It was vibranium, in its raw form. "You didn't think I came here empty-handed, did you?"

Ana had never seen raw vibranium before. "May I?"

Shuri tossed the tube at her. "How much progress have you made so far?"

"Not much. You do realize it took Grandpa Stark a lifetime to discover _one_ element, right? Technically, we're centuries away from creating the Nexus."

"And my team said we were decades away from a nanotech Panther Habit," she said, dangling a ceremonial necklace before her. Then she put it on an empty mannequin, and the vibranium suit quickly materialized around it. Ana had seen the footage before. The suit's nanites were stored in said necklace.

"This might be the coolest thing I've ever seen."

"That's because you haven't seen my lab," she bragged.

"Maybe someday."

"So, what else are you working on these days? Any upgrade for your dad's suits?"

"He doesn't need my help to upgrade his suits. But he wants to give me one."

She beamed at Ana. "What?"

"Yeah, he had a change of heart when he found out I was among the Project Insight targets."

"And?" she asked expectantly.

"At first, I said no. But I think I want to give it a try."

"If you want to put on an Iron Man suit, you know you still have to overcome your fear of heights, right?"

"Yeah, I know." Shuri had a point. If she was to be the heiress to the Iron Man mantle as well, she should be able to fly.

"Then maybe we should start working on that."

"Okay. Once the team goes on their first mission. I don't want an audience."

…

Ana had never thought she would find herself inside an Iron Man suit. And yet, here she was, in Mark 42—her dad had reconstructed it, mostly for nostalgia reasons— _and_ standing on the edge of the balcony. Shuri could be quite persistent.

The Avengers had gone on their first mission against the remaining HYDRA forces. Pepper and Hill were having a meeting. Ana's only audience was Shuri, Okoye, and Nakia.

She looked at the nauseating height beneath her again, and sucked in a sharp breath. She just couldn't stop thinking about how long a fall from this point would take, and how terrifying it would be. "You know what, maybe we should start with an easier exercise. This is too advanced for me."

"At some point, you're going to have to do this. The sooner, the better."

"Maybe I should pick another suit. Mark 42 is notoriously unstable."

"No, no, this is the right choice," Shuri said, grinning mischievously.

"Actually, miss, the second version of Mark 42 is perfectly stable," JARVIS chimed in. Ana wondered whose side JARVIS was on.

Okoye and Nakia swapped bored looks.

"Just think about it," Shuri went on. "All you have to do it to take this one step. Then you're a superhero."

Ana closed her eyes. Shuri was right. How was she supposed to fight Thanos, or anyone who wanted to hurt her dad, while she couldn't even fight her own irrational fears? But then, she knew she was never meant to be a fighter.

"I don't think I can do it," she admitted at last. "This is crazy, I can't even—"

Suddenly, she felt a hand on her back, and before she could even react, she was falling and tumbling through the air. Her greatest fear had come true. Instinctively, she started screaming, but JARVIS took over and fired the repulsors, allowing her to defy gravity. Once she realized she wasn't falling to her death anymore, the initial panic was replaced with anger, and she dashed up to the balcony.

"No!" Shuri cried, staring at her tablet. "Don't come down! Your fear level has reached its peak, now you have to wait until it drops by at least 50%. Otherwise, this will all be for nothing."

Shuri had a point, so Ana paused, and remained hovering in the air. The hardest part was over, and flying wasn't as bad as she had thought it would be. She just hated that wobbly feeling, but it could be worse. At least her feet touched something solid, even though that solid thing was basically the inner surface of a flying can.

It didn't mean she had forgotten what had been done to her, though. "Which one of you pushed me?" she asked angrily.

"I did," Okoye said. "What are you going to do about it?"

Ana hesitated for a second. If she attacked Okoye in this suit, that would be overkill. She was angry, yes, but not _that_ angry. And if she attacked her without the suit… She rather liked her bones intact, thank you very much. "Nothing."

"Good," Okoye said curtly, but she was grinning.

"What am I supposed to now?" she asked Shuri.

"You can _fly_ , for Bast's sake! Go have some fun!"

Flying might not be too bad, but she couldn't say she had started having fun yet, and she wasn't sure if she ever could.

 _Dad would be proud_ , she told herself as she flew in circles above Manhattan.

Speaking of her dad, he was now calling her.

"Hey, Dad!"

"Ana? What _exactly_ are you doing with Mark 42, honey?"

"Uhm, it's nothing… I'm just having a little therapy session. Are you mad at me?"

"Why would I be mad? It's okay. So, how does it feel?"

"Not bad."

" _Not bad_? Seriously?"

"This is actually a bit embarrassing."

"No, it's not."

"Yes, it kind of is."

"Is that why you decided to do this when I'm not around?"

"Are you guilt-tripping me?"

"You were there to see my first flight. I didn't get to see yours. It's not fair."

"Yours was fun. Trust me, mine is just boring."

"Maybe we should have a race when I get back."

"Speaking of, when will you guys be back?"

"Well, we're almost done here. We'll probably be back at the tower tonight."

"Good. See you soon, then!"

"Goodbye, kid. You make your old man proud." He laughed, and hung up.

JARVIS was showing her fear level—it was an algorithm Ana and Shuri had written based on the blood pressure, pulse, and other vitals—in the right upper corner of the HUD. It had dropped from 72% to 40% during the call. Ana kept flying until it dropped to 20%, then returned to the tower to find Shuri, Nakia, and Okoye sipping coffee on the balcony.

"I didn't know you liked Starbucks." They had a Starbucks in the tower, but Ana had never thought Okoye would be interested. Maybe Shuri and Nakia had convinced her to give it a try.

Okoye shrugged. "It's not so bad."

"So… Do you think it worked?" Shuri asked curiously.

"I think it did, yeah. Thank you for helping me, guys."

"Ana," Maria Hill interrupted them. "Time for another sparring session."

Ana groaned. "Seriously? Can't you just give me a break?"

Hill smirked. "No."

Seeing that there was no other way, Ana followed her inside the tower.

"How much do they know?" Hill whispered once they were out of earshot.

"T'Challa and Shuri, you mean?"

"Yes."

"Everything, except for the Darkhold." The Darkhold was one of the few things that weren't even in the Nexus Protocol files. Ana had deleted everything about Momentum Labs, the Bauers, or the Darkhold from JARVIS' memory. And she repeated the same process after every time she or Hill mentioned them again. Shuri couldn't know about the book. No one could. According to Fury, the infinte knowledge in the Darkhold was meant to corrupt people's minds.

"What if they tell Tony? Or the rest of the team?"

"They won't. I know paranoia is a part of your job, but you can trust them."

"Is that so? Wasn't Shuri a spy when she first came to New York?"

"She wasn't a _spy_! She'd just learned a few tricks from her brother's girlfriend."

"So, the future queen of Wakanda is a spy… Wonderful!"

"Nakia is not the future queen of Wakanda. I think they broke up."

"Whatever. You should be careful."

"I told you, you're being paranoid."

"Let's hope they prove me wrong…"

…

"I just got an e-mail from your dad," Shuri announced when Ana joined her in the lab the next morning. The sparring session with Hill had left her with sore muscles as usual, but at least there were no fresh bruises this time. Maybe Hill had decided to show her some mercy after seeing that Ana was willing to overcome her biggest fear. " _Subject: Payback is a Bitch_. Hmm, this looks promising…"

 _Seriously?_ Ana thought. The Avengers had just returned from the mission, and was this how her dad wanted to spend his vacation day? Getting petty revenge? Nevertheless, she decided to see what he had sent Shuri.

It was a video of a six-year-old Ana, dancing to _Smooth Criminal_ on her dad's first holotable. Stark Industries had manufactured one of the earliest holotable prototypes. She couldn't help but smile when she remembered how excited she had been about it. Now, it looked ancient.

"Alright, you had your fun. Now let's get back to work."

"You're such a buzzkill. You know that, right?"

"We still have an element to discover."

"The element is not the only thing you've been working on, though…"

Of course Shuri had noticed. "No," Ana admitted.

"What is it, Ana?"

"I'm going through the leaked HYDRA files. To find out the truth about my grandparents' death."

"What?"

"I met Fury in Malibu."

"I knew you weren't there for a vacation…"

She couldn't tell her about Momentum Labs, or the Darkhold, so instead, she said, "He promised to help us find the other Infinity Stones. Oh, Sigyn is half-human, by the way. She came to Earth to guard the Tesseract after WWII. That's how she met the founders of SHIELD. And just before his death, my grandfather was able to replicate the super soldier serum and he used it on her."

"That actually explains a lot."

"Yep. Fury also told me my grandparents' death might not be an accident. I've been working on this since then. I know we should focus on the Nexus right now, but I need to know, Shuri…"

"Of course," she said softly. "They were your family. You deserve to know the truth. I'll worry about the element, you just keep looking."

"Thanks," she mumbled and started to decrypting more of said files.

And about half an hour later, she finally found something.

 _Mission Report: December 16, 1991_

…

Ana wasn't sure which was worse. The fact that her grandparents had been brutally murdered in cold blood, or the fact that their murderer was Captain America's best friend.

"What are you going to do now?" Shuri asked.

There was only one thing she could do. "JARVIS, where's Cap?"

"Captain Rogers is currently in his apartment."

"Print out a copy of that mission report, will you?"

"Yes, miss."

Knowing what Captain America meant to her dad, Ana kept a certain distance between Steve Rogers and herself. As for Steve, he was mostly indifferent, if not mistrustful towards her. Especially after finding out that Fury had sent her on a mission with Hawkeye to retrieve the scepter. It was as if he knew Ana had too many secrets. She wasn't looking forward to having this conversation with him, but he was still a good man, and a part of the team. He deserved to know.

He opened the door after the first knock. "Hi, Ana. Can I help you with something?"

She entered, and closed the door behind her. "There's something you need to know. About your friend, Sergeant Barnes."

"You found him?" His voice was full of hope and excitement.

"No. I found a report… On one of his missions as the Winter Soldier. This might be hard to process, but it concerns all of us. Here."

But Steve didn't take the report. Instead, he closed his eyes and sighed, as if he was surrendering.

"Wait… You knew," Ana gasped upon the realization. Apparently, even Captain America had a dark side. "You _knew_!"

"Yes." His whisper was barely audible.

"How?"

"After SHIELD fell, Natasha called in some favors, gave me everything she could find on Bucky."

Ana laughed bitterly. "So, Natasha knows as well. Great! When were you going to tell us?"

"Once we destroyed HYDRA for good. You can't tell Tony now, Ana."

 _As honest as possible_. "Oh, I'm going to tell him."

"What? Ana, we're at war with HYDRA! Tony cannot be distracted. You know him better than anyone else. If you tell him now, he'll do something reckless on our next mission!"

No doubt Cap genuinely believed he could tell his friend the truth once this war was won. But then, something else would come up, and he would decide to wait just a little bit longer. Then there would be another perfectly reasonable excuse not to tell him, and the lies would keep piling up. That was the thing about secrets. The longer you waited, the harder they became to explain.

"No," she said firmly. "He has to know."

"Why did you want to see me, then? Clearly my opinion on this means nothing to you."

"Because Sergeant Barnes is your friend, and I'm a decent human being. I thought I should give you a heads-up."

"Do you expect a thank you?"

"Well, yeah. I'm aware that your friend is the victim here, Cap, but my grandparents deserve justice as well."

"This is not about them, though, is it? This is about you."

"What do you mean?"

"Fury could've sent Barton alone to retrieve the scepter. He didn't need you for that mission. So, what else was on that island, Ana?"

 _Shit_. Steve was smarter than he looked. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I think you keep a secret from Tony. A big one. And now you want to give him something else to ease your guilty conscience. It's also why you told us about Coulson, isn't it?"

 _Relax,_ she told herself. Cap was just bluffing. Even if he shared his suspicions with her dad, he wouldn't believe him.

"Are you threatening me, Rogers?"

"I'm not threatening you, Ana. All I'm saying is, if you're in trouble, and for whatever reason, if it's something your dad can't know, you can still count on the rest of the team. You can count on me."

"Oh, so you're bribing me…"

"Why are you twisting my words?"

"This is family business, Rogers. I don't expect you to understand."

 _I shouldn't have said that_ , she thought when she saw the pained look on his face, but his next words changed her mind. "Says the girl who doesn't even know who her mother is."

A part of her wondered what would happen if she donned a suit and punched him in the face. Thankfully, a more sensible part made her storm out of the apartment without a word.

"JARVIS, where is Dad?"

JARVIS said he was watching TV with Pepper in the penthouse. Yeah, it was a good thing that Pepper was there with him. Ana was very glad that she wouldn't have to do this alone.

"Hey, Ana," Pepper smiled when she saw her. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I just want to talk to you guys."

Her dad frowned. "Kid? What's going on?"

"There's something you need to know."

"What's that?" he asked, looking at the folder in her hand.

Ana sat down next to him, and gave him the mission report. She tried not to think much about the reaction he would give. He had to know, and it was all that mattered. "The truth about your mom and dad… About how they died."


	11. Chapter 11

Ignorance was sometimes bliss, indeed. Tony had always found consolation in the fact that his parents had died a quick death. That they hadn't even had the time to realize what was happening. Now even that consolation had been taken from him.

The crash hadn't killed them. The Winter Soldier had.

He remembered his dad's fractured face. Barnes must have punched him to death. How many punches had it taken to kill him? And his mom's broken neck… Tony was now wondering which one would be more painful. Being punched, or choked to death. Because the answer would determine how he would kill Barnes.

"Tony?" Pepper asked softly, taking his hand into hers.

Tony gently squeezed her hand and pressed it against his lips. The fact that such a beautiful, smart, kind, and capable woman had to live in the same world with the monster who had killed his mom filled his heart with rage. She looked so delicate, so fragile… And yet, she was somehow able to give him all the strength he needed.

"I think you should talk to Steve. He was good friends with Sergeant Barnes, right?"

"I'm going to kill Barnes. There's nothing to talk about."

Ana gasped. "Dad, please don't!"

"What?"

"Sergeant Barnes was brainwashed by HYDRA. He was just another victim."

"Why are you defending him?" He couldn't help but feel a little betrayed. Ana had always been on his side, no matter what. Always. Was that going to change now? Why?

"Because I was brainwashed, too! I tried to kill you. Right here, remember? If you're blaming that guy for what he did, it means, deep down, you're probably blaming me, too. And if you can't forgive me, I can't forgive myself either!"

"That was different," he said quickly. He refused to believe that his daughter had anything in common with the most notorious assassin in history. He had never blamed Ana for what Loki had done to her, ever. But did he really have to let Barnes get away with his crimes to prove that? He would do anything for his baby girl. Anything. This one wasn't going to be easy, though. But deep down, he knew hers was a good argument. He was just too angry to admit it right now. Maybe later, once he was able to think more clearly…

"She has a point, Tony," Pepper agreed. "Barnes was just a weapon. A tool. HYDRA was behind this. And if you start a fight with Steve, you'll only be doing them a favor."

Another good argument. It didn't change the fact that Barnes was still out there, though.

Then, another thought occurred to him. Ana looked like her grandmother. And she rarely used her middle name, but sometimes, it appeared on interviews and articles… What if one day Barnes woke up and decided that he had an unfinished mission? Who knew how exactly his messed up mind worked? Maybe all it took was a picture, or a word to trigger him.

"Tony? What is it?"

"Ana," he mumbled. "She… looks like my mom…"

Pepper seemed confused. "And?"

"I think he fears that Barnes might come for me." Ana had understood. Of course she had.

"It's just me being paranoid," he said quickly, not wanting to scare her. He put an arm around each of the girls, and tugged them closer. "You're safe. You're both safe. I'll speak with Cap and figure this out."

Well, he and Steve weren't exactly BFFs, but they had grown to respect each other. And Tony was happy. He finally felt like he was doing something that would make his dad proud. He was a part of something bigger than himself. That was one of the reasons he loved taking care of the Avengers. And now, he feared that their relationship was never going to be the same. But what else could he do? He couldn't let Barnes roam freely. He had a daughter and a girlfriend to think of. He was going to spare his life, to prove Ana that he understood how mind control worked, but that was all. He couldn't just ignore the fact that he was somewhere out there.

"Cap knows," Ana blurted out.

"What?" he gasped.

"Romanoff called in some favors after SHIELD fell, gave him everything she could find on Barnes… I think they didn't want you to get emotional right now. They were going to tell you once HYDRA was dealt with. But I didn't want to wait. I thought you deserved to know what HYDRA had taken from you before you destroyed them for good."

He bit his lips angrily. He couldn't say he was surprised about Romanoff. But Rogers had been lying to him this whole time as well. Tony wondered if his dad would have still admired him so deeply if he had known that Captain America would be protecting his murderer one day. Was he really going to tell Tony the truth once HYDRA was gone, or was it just another lie?

 _Pepper is right_ , he reminded himself. If he started a fight with Rogers, he would be doing HYDRA a favor.

"Dad?"

"It's okay, kid, really. I'm just glad you told me."

"You did what you had to do," Pepper told her. "Don't blame yourself."

Ana sighed. "Still, your next mission will be so awkward."

He shrugged. "We're all professionals. We don't have to be friends to save the world."

Pepper lifted her head to give him a peck on the lips. "Just don't do anything reckless, okay?"

"I won't," he promised firmly, looking into her eyes. Seemingly satisfied, Pepper smiled and buried her head in the crook of his neck. He just wanted to keep them like this forever, safe in his arms. If he were a man who had nothing to lose, he would indeed be doing something reckless and stupid right now. But Tony had so much to lose, and he couldn't afford to be reckless. Every time he donned the suit, he knew he had to return home in one piece.

…

His confrontation with Rogers didn't go well. Tony did his best to remain calm, until he found out Rogers would have brought Barnes to the tower if he had been able to find him. He would have brought that monster to the place where Pepper and Ana lived. After that, Tony lost whatever temper he might have had. Harsh words were exchanged, threats were made. But in the end, the team still stood together, and it was all that mattered.

The following missions were indeed awkward. Well, Rogers was more or less still his usual self, but the same couldn't be said for Tony. He didn't make any jokes. He didn't even speak unless he had to, which of course, didn't go unnoticed. He had a feeling that everyone knew what was going on, but no one wanted to address the elephant in the room. Not that Tony complained. It was easier this way. Once HYDRA was destroyed, maybe he would even retire, although he probably should keep funding the Avengers. They would be better off without him. Well, he had never truly been a team player, anyway.

Tony didn't want to be the man who tore the Avengers apart. He didn't want Rogers to get the impression that he was trying to turn some of his teammates against him. That was why he mostly hung out with T'Challa, who wasn't officially an Avenger. He and his sister would return to Wakanda once they found Ulysses Klaue. And to find Klaue, first, they had to find Wolfgang von Strucker.

He wasn't easy to find, though. No matter how many HYDRA bases they destroyed, he was somehow able to elude them. But once he finally resurfaced in Eastern Europe, the Avengers were one step ahead of him.

This HYDRA Research Base was located in a small country named Sokovia, and was protected by an invisible force field. JARVIS helped him locate the power source for that shield, and Tony easily destroyed it with a missile. After sending in the Iron Legion to protect the civilians nearby and letting the team know that he had taken care of the shield, he turned off his com. If he came across List, or Strucker, he was going to have a chat with them about his parents. He didn't want an audience.

JARVIS must have sensed his intentions, because without a word, he led him directly to the most crowded and heavily guarded room in the castle. The moment he flew in through the window, men started shooting at him with everything they had. He had to admit that it was actually funny. After all those years, did people still think they could penetrate a gold-titanium alloy suit with bullets?

"Guys, stop…"

But they didn't stop, so, Tony killed them. Except for the man who was still typing furiously at a computer in the far end of the room. Dr. List. Tony would kill him, too, but first, he had a few questions to ask.

He flew at List, grabbed him by the throat and pinned him against a wall.

"Vasily Karpov… Who killed him?"

Vasily Karpov was the one who was behind the assassination. The HYDRA bastard who had given the order. Tony had hoped that he could at least kill him, but he had discovered that Karpov had been found dead in Cleveland shortly after the fall of SHIELD. A rune had been carved on his chest. JARVIS hadn't been able to translate it. When Tony had asked Thor, he had said that the rune meant "vengeance" in an ancient language. That it was a terribly dark magic that would make the enemy feel the pain of his victims as he died. But when Tony had asked him who might have done such a thing, Thor had simply said he wasn't the only one who had unfinished business with HYDRA. He had refused to say anything else, claiming he had taken an oath of silence, like everyone else in his family.

Tony didn't know what this was about. All he knew was that once again, he had been denied his revenge.

List's eyes widened in panic. "I—I don't know anything about Karpov, I swear! I'm just a scientist, I've never dealt with the politics of HYDRA."

So, _politics_ … That was how these guys saw the murder of his mom and dad. "And what about the Winter Soldier? Where's he?"

"I—I don't know. He's never contacted HYDRA after Pierce died! He was never a willing operative anyway. Even Pierce could barely keep him under control."

The faceplate popped open as his fingers closed around List's throat. JARVIS knew Tony wanted to look Dr. List in the eye as he took his life. He knew Tony wanted to hear this man beg for mercy, feel his body struggle to get free under his tight grip. JARVIS knew him too well.

Once it was done, he let go of the limp body. But when he turned around, he found T'Challa standing behind him. He could be really quiet while sneaking up on someone. The guy took this big cat thing very seriously.

"Be careful, Mr. Stark. Don't let vengeance consume your soul."

True, these days he turned to T'Challa whenever he felt like talking to someone during the missions, but right now, he didn't feel like talking much. No matter how many heads of HYDRA he killed, his mom and dad weren't coming back. The realization became more apparent after each kill, and left him with an awful pit in his stomach. Maybe that was what being consumed by vengeance felt like. But T'Challa didn't have to know that.

He stepped out of his suit. "I appreciate the concern, Your Highness. But I think I'm good," he said nonchalantly, then commanded JARVIS, "Sentry mode."

"I'm not judging you," T'Challa went on. "I'd do the same if someone murdered my family."

"Thanks… I guess."

"Strucker has surrendered. I thought you might want to know."

Tony already knew he couldn't kill Strucker. T'Challa needed him alive, and after the questioning, the Avengers would have to turn him over to the authorities. Again, alive. The world let the Avengers operate without any form of oversight, but they still had to play by the rules. "Will he cooperate?"

"He already has."

So, T'Challa had a location on Klaue. "Great. Do you need an extra pair of hands?"

"Thank you, Mr. Stark, but no. Nakia and Okoye are already on their way."

"You still don't trust me, do you?"

"After Shuri first told me about you, I studied you carefully, Mr. Stark. I wanted to see if you were really the Merchant of Death, or something more than that. And do you know what I found? A picture of you, shaking hands with Ulysses Klaue."

Tony smiled angrily. He wasn't angry with T'Challa, no. He was angry with himself. He knew the old days would eventually come back to bite him. "Look, there are… conventions, okay? Yeah, I might have shaken hands with the guy back in the day. But that's all. I didn't sell him anything. He was talking about finding something new, a game changer. I didn't care. I didn't even know he was talking about vibranium."

"I trust you with my sister now. I want her to stay in New York until we deal with Klaue. Isn't that good enough for you?"

"She'll be safe, I promise," he said firmly. Tony and T'Challa had their differences, but they agreed on one thing: Family. _You don't mess with a man's family._

"I'm glad your daughter and my sister are good friends, Mr. Stark."

Tony sighed. "Yeah, me, too… Well, back to work."

He crossed to the computers and started downloading the files, and sent Hill a copy. But he knew there had to be more than just files here. This facility was better guarded than the previous ones, which meant that they were probably hiding something important.

"J, give me an IR scan of the room, real quick."

"The wall to your left," JARVIS said. "I'm reading steel reinforcement. And an air current."

He walked up to said wall and began inspecting it. "Please be a secret door, please be a secret door, please be a secret door… Yay!"

When the secret door revealed itself, he glanced toward T'Challa.

T'Challa shot him a typical _"You have issues"_ look, but followed him nevertheless.

"So, what's your other secret?" Tony casually asked as they descended the steps side by side.

"My other secret?"

"The suit makes you bulletproof, yes. But it can't enhance your stamina, or reflexes… What else does it take to become the Black Panther?"

Such things hadn't escaped Tony's notice.

"You're quite observant, Mr. Stark," he said, but his tone made it clear that he wasn't going to answer Tony's question. Normally, Tony wouldn't give up easily, but they soon reached the bottom of the steps, and the sight before them left him speechless. For a second, Tony thought he was back in that damn wormhole. _Dead_ , he reminded himself. The Leviathan hanging above them was dead. It was harmless. He wasn't in space. He was in a HYDRA base, in a god-forsaken country named Sokovia. When he looked at T'Challa, he, too, seemed equally disturbed. But there was also something more. T'Challa was looking at the dead Leviathan as if it were his greatest enemy. This was personal for him, too, and it was easy to understand why.

Shuri could have been there when Loki had attacked New York. She had been lucky. Ana hadn't. Tony still remembered the way she looked at him, with icy blue eyes. He remembered the dried blood on her lips, the bruises on her neck.

" _His name is Tony Stark. He is my father."_

" _And what does that mean to you?"_

" _It means nothing to me."_

That wasn't something a father could ever forget.

He wondered if T'Challa, too, understood the gravity of the threat. If they combined their resources… Maybe then, aliens would be screwed.

"Do you know when I first questioned my old man's legacy?" he started, walking around the room. That Leviathan wasn't the only alien artifact HYDRA had stolen from SHIELD. This place was full of all kinds of Chitauri tech.

"I can't say I do."

"In Afghanistan, when a bomb fell right next to me. One of my own."

The prince let out a dry chuckle.

"I wasn't stupid, of course. I knew what people said behind my back. _Warmonger_. _Merchant of Death_. I just never believed there could be blood on my hands. I simply made the weapons, never fired them. I never started any wars. But others knew better. Because my name was written on those weapons, and all that bloodshed could be traced back to me."

"What are you getting at, Mr. Stark?"

He grabbed a Chitauri gun. "I wish there was a name written on these, too."

A vague smirk played about T'Challa's lips, and he nodded. "You wish to know who Loki's warmonger is…"

He put the weapon down, and pumped his fist in triumph. "Yes! Finally, someone gets it!"

But all of a sudden, T'Challa gestured him to hold on, and he tapped on one of the Kimoyo beads around his wrist. The hologram of an elderly black woman appeared.

 _I want one of those_ , Tony thought.

"Mother?" T'Challa asked, apparently confused.

"My son, you have to return to Wakanda at once!"

"But, Mother… I'm so close to finding Klaue…"

"Klaue is dead! Your cousin presented his corpse to the Border Tribe. Now he has challenged your father. He is planning to overthrow him."

"What? I—I don't have a cousin…"

T'Challa's mother hesitated for a moment before speaking. "We will explain everything."

"But, _Baba_ is…"

"Too old for such a fight? He is. And your cousin is a ruthless man. But your father thinks he should accept the challenge nevertheless. That's why you have to come home, son. You can't let him do this."

"What about Shuri?"

The Queen thought for a moment. "I think she will be safer with our new friends."

T'Challa nodded, and tapped on the Kimoyo bead again to end the call.

Tony remained silent at first. He wasn't sure if he should say anything. "Shuri will be safe," he said at last. "I'll protect her like my own."

T'Challa shook his head. "You can't…"

 _What the hell?_ Tony thought. He thought they were getting along just fine. "Why not?"

"Because you don't know who is coming for them."

"What…"

"This is wrong," he murmured, rubbing a hand over his face. "Ana trusted us… But if I lose the challenge… If I die… You have to know, Mr. Stark. There is no other way. The enemy is too dangerous to be left to children."

"What enemy?"

"JARVIS can tell you everything. All you have to do is to activate the Nexus Protocol."

"The Nexus Protocol? JARVIS doesn't have a protocol like that… Do you, JARVIS?"

JARVIS didn't reply. After shooting Tony a meaningful look, T'Challa stormed off.

…

There was only one other person who could override JARVIS' protocols. Ana.

But even Ana couldn't program JARVIS to lie to Tony. Not without Tony noticing, at least. She could make him keep secrets, though. As long as Tony didn't ask direct questions about those secrets. That was why JARVIS remained silent when Tony asked him about the Nexus Protocol.

Once they returned to the tower, Tony locked himself in his private lab, and brought up a holographic image of JARVIS' mainframe. It was something he rarely did; after all, JARVIS didn't need a lot of maintenance.

Upon first glance, there was nothing unusual, but it didn't take long for Tony to find an odd code fragment that could easily be mistaken for a simple glitch. Only, this time Tony knew it wasn't a glitch.

He kept spotting more and more of those fragments. Hundreds of them, like the pieces of a giant puzzle. But once Tony put those pieces together, he discovered a digital Pandora's Box. And his world turned over.

He wanted to be in denial, he really did, but it was impossible. Not when everything suddenly started to make so much sense. Everything. Why Ana had scrapped her time-traveling project. Why Stane had thought she had cheated death. Why she had moved to New York. Why she had refused to leave the tower when Loki had come. What she had really found on Fury's island (Her corpse… His daughter's _freaking_ corpse, in a _freaking_ cryo chamber).

JARVIS told him the rest. Who Ana's mother was. Why he had never been able to find her. Why Shuri had approached her in the first place.

"I am so sorry, sir," JARVIS said gravely, once he had nothing else left to say.

And Tony had thought, being the visionary he was, he saw the big picture… While he couldn't even see what was right before him. The truth was worse than his worst nightmares.

Tony started to rub his left arm, which was now getting numb. His ears were ringing, and he could literally feel his brain throbbing. He wasn't sure if he was on the verge of another anxiety attack, or going into an actual cardiac arrest. He didn't care. He just sat there, and waited to die.

He was still alive by the time Ana came to see him.

"Dad?" she whispered. Tony didn't reply. She seemed mortified, but he didn't know if it was how she really felt, or just an act. When it came to her, he wasn't sure about anything anymore.

He remembered the first time he had held her in his arms. He had felt the purest, strongest form of love, and it had terrified him. Back then, he hadn't understood why. He did now. Only she could hurt him like this. When he had discovered Stane's betrayal, it had felt like a stab wound in his chest. Same when he had found out about Cap's lies. But they were nothing, compared to what he was feeling right now. It would hurt less if Ana just grabbed a knife and literally stabbed him a hundred times.

"Dad?"

"Dad, please, say something!"

"How could you?" he was able to ask at last.

"Dad, I tried to tell you, but—"

"Don't… Don't 'Dad' me! Just don't…"

He jumped to his feet, and began pacing up and down like a caged animal. "Thanos has been inside my head since New York. And you had all the answers! You had all the answers, and you just let me suffer. How could you do that to me?"

"I didn't have all the answers, Dad. It took me three years to find out who Thanos was. And another two years to figure out how to stop him. Even now—"

"You looked me in the eye, and lied. Not for days, not for weeks, but for years… YEARS, Ana!"

"I was trying to protect you. You freak out every time someone says the A word. You were already a mess, and if I'd told you, it would've been worse!"

"So, you chose to trust a bunch of spies and aliens instead? When were you going to tell me? When Thanos finally came knocking?"

"But I told you, Dad. I told you that Loki was working for someone else, remember? I wanted to tell you the rest, but… You weren't ready to hear."

"No… No, no, no, no… That's not good enough. Not when you're neck-deep in this shit! I mean look at this," he cried, showing him the picture of the corpse.

"That's not me! That's just a temporal aberration!"

" _Temporal aberration_ ," he scoffed.

Suddenly, the room began spinning around him, and he had to sit down.

"Dad? Are you okay?"

She reached out and wanted to take his hand, but Tony didn't let her. "Don't touch me!"

"Is there anything you need?"

"Yeah, I need a lobotomy!"

"Dad, please…"

"I—I can't believe it. I just can't. I didn't raise you to be this… _thing_. You've been running a spy network right under my nose!"

"Spy network? You're exaggerating…"

"Am I? You're cut from the same cloth with the likes of Hill and Romanoff!"

"I thought they were your friends."

"Yeah, friends, co-workers, comrades, whatever… But you're my daughter, Ana. Or rather, you were… I'm not sure what you are anymore.

"If I make this right… If I build the Nexus, will you forgive me?"

He stared at her in utter disbelief. Did she really think he gave a shit about the Nexus right now? True, Thanos terrified him, but not as much as the sudden realization of how smoothly his own daughter could lie to him. How shrewd she was. "This is not about the Nexus, or Thanos, Ana. This is about you. What you've become. You know, every time I looked at you, I felt like I was the luckiest man in the world. Tell me, was there _anything_ real about the past five years?"

Ana collapsed on her knees and burst into tears. "Dad, please don't do this. Please, I love you so much! I'm just scared!"

Indeed, she sounded so scared, so hurt that Tony wanted to take it all back. He wanted to say that there was nothing to forgive. He wanted to hold her in his arms, and tell her that Thanos was his problem now. To promise her that he wouldn't let him take her. He knew he couldn't remain angry with her forever. And to be honest, it wasn't even _her_ he was mad at. It wasn't her fault that she had a cowardly father who lost his shit whenever someone said something about aliens.

But then, Loki's threats echoed in his head.

" _It was your father who destroyed the Sanctuary. Thanos won't forget that. He will come for him, and everyone he loves. If he chooses to adopt you, you will watch your father die screaming. If not, your father will watch you die screaming first."_

"You disgust me. Get out of my sight."

He didn't see her reaction. He didn't have the courage to look at her face. All he knew was that without a word, Ana had scrambled to her feet and left. He knew he had broken her heart, and he was never going to forgive himself for doing this. But if that was the price he had to pay to keep her safe, he was going to pay it.

He sat frozen in that chair until Pepper came for him. He felt drained. Both physically and mentally.

"I know everything," she simply said. "Ana told me before she left."

"Is she gone?" Tony asked, trying his best to hide the relief in his voice.

Pepper shrugged. "She and Shuri have left. They took the Mind Stone with them. I don't know what they're up to."

He got on his feet, and pulled her into an embrace. Loki's words were still echoing in his head.

" _He will come for him, and everyone he loves."_


	12. Chapter 12

A few days later, they heard from T'Challa. King T'Chaka had been killed by Erik Killmonger, and T'Challa had had to take the throne back from his long-lost cousin. Pepper didn't know what had changed, but afterward, the new king had soon announced his decision to share Wakanda's resources with the rest of the world. Once Wakanda was safe again, Shuri had returned home, with the Mind Stone. T'Challa promised to keep it safe. As for Ana, she had been given an office as the representative of Stark Industries at the Wakandan International Outreach Center in Oakland, and was now living there.

" _I'm disappointed in you, Mr. Stark,"_ T'Challa said when Tony told him that he had decided to retire, but Pepper didn't think Tony cared about what anyone thought of him anymore.

…

Pepper had expected Tony to lock himself in his workshop and build the deadliest Iron Man suit the world had ever seen, but he hadn't. She had promised that she wouldn't judge him if he literally built an army of suits, because to be honest, she, too, was scared shitless now. After New York, everyone around Tony—including Pepper—had accused him of being paranoid. Ana's secrets had proven him to be right. But he didn't even go to his workshop anymore. He simply stared at walls all day, and did nothing else. He answered when someone asked him a question, or obeyed her when Pepper reminded him to eat, sleep, or shower, but that was all.

He had once visited Sigyn's house in Norway, but there was no one home. Other than that, the only action he had taken was to retire, and to move the Avengers to a new facility in Upstate New York. The Avengers Tower had become the Stark Tower once again. Pepper knew why Tony had done this. And why he had broken Ana's heart. To protect them. Because if Loki was right, Thanos would come for Tony. And everyone he cared about.

Months passed. Maybe Pepper should break up with him. Any smart woman would. But she loved him. And if she was to die at the hands of this Thanos guy, she would die while she was still Tony Stark's girlfriend. Besides, she didn't think Tony would let Thanos take them alive. Maybe, if it came to that, they would kill each other. It wouldn't be so bad, to die in each other's arms. There were worse ways to go.

Still, she refused to go down without a fight. She might not be an Avenger, but she was still a part of this team. That was why she called Maria Hill, and threatened to fire her if she refused to tell them what Ana and Fury were exactly up to. Because she knew that the "collective projects" with Wakanda were just a cover. If Ana wanted to create the Nexus, she had to find the Infinity Stones. And for that, she had to work with the most resourceful person she could find. That person was Nick Fury. No one knew Fury better than Maria Hill. Pepper liked Hill, but right now, Ana's well-being was her priority. She had to make sure that the poor girl was safe. Hill was reluctant at first, but then, she said she would come by the tower after work.

Pepper decided to see Tony and give him the news. Much to her delight, JARVIS said Tony was in his workshop. This was definitely progress. Maybe things were starting to get better.

Pepper took a deep breath before slowly opening the workshop door.

"Tony?" she asked softly. These days, she had been walking on eggshells around him. It didn't feel right. She couldn't believe this, but she actually missed the times when he acted like a complete douchebag. At least there was something reassuring in his douchebaggery. It was familiar, something she knew how to deal with. But this? This version of him was scary. Even his PTSD after New York was less unsettling than… whatever this was.

He looked up from whatever he was building—it looked like an Iron Man gauntlet—and gave her a half-hearted smile. "Hey, baby."

Pepper went up to him, wrapped her arms around his shoulders and gave him a kiss. "So, I, uhm… I called Maria Hill. She'll be here this evening, tell us what Fury and Ana are up to."

"Has she ever stopped working for Fury?" he sneered.

"She still needs our protection."

"You threatened her, didn't you?"

Pepper released him, and gave him a not-so-innocent shrug. "So, what's this? Mark 1000? I'm not complaining, by the way. I'm just glad that you're doing something, anything."

"No, this is not a suit. It's actually for you."

"For me?" she asked, taken aback.

He opened a drawer, took out a custom watch, and put it around Pepper's wrist. He then proceeded to show her how to activate it, and when he did, the watch turned into an Iron Man gauntlet, just like the one he had been working on.

"It's just a deterrent, nothing lethal," he immediately started to explain, like he was scared that Pepper would refuse to keep it. "Flash beam, ultrasonic pulse… It's still made of gold-titanium alloy, of course, you can stop a bullet with this thing. Something I made just for us. I mean, there're times when you gotta save the best gadgets for yourself."

"This is great, Tony. I'll make sure I always wear mine," she assured him, although they both knew that this gauntlet would most likely be useless on Thanos.

 _He is stalling_ , she thought. Like he was avoiding facing the real problem.

"Thanks." His voice was full of both relief and gratitude. "Does Ana still check her e-mails?"

"Of course. She's still my CTO. And she answers her phone, too. You can call her, you know. Or, just pay her a visit."

The suggestion made him visibly uncomfortable. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"I know what you're trying to do, Tony. You're trying to protect everyone around you. But you're making a mistake. What do you think is going to happen? That when this Thanos guy comes, he will take you, and leave everyone else alone?"

"Whatever," he said evasively. "I'll just e-mail her the blueprints. She can use them to build herself one if she wants."

Well, at least it was a start. For them, exchanging blueprints was easier than exchanging words. And more effective. Sometimes, Pepper felt like those two spoke a language only they could understand.

"She's still your daughter, Tony."

"Of course she is. I just… I always thought she was like my mom. Kind, compassionate, innocent…"

Pepper smiled. Tony was such a mommy's boy. "And do you think she's not like that anymore?"

"I—I'm not sure. Have you seen how she threatened Loki?"

"She was terrified, Tony. And to be honest, Loki deserved it."

"I know he did! All I'm saying is, it wasn't supposed to be her. All those things she did… She's ruthless, but in a very subtle way. Just like my dad. She has my mom's looks, and my dad's personality. It's actually a scary combination."

She chuckled. Yes, he was such a mommy's boy, and Pepper was sure Maria Stark was an amazing woman, but maybe he should stop putting her memory on a pedestal. For everybody's sake. "Tony, your mom wasn't 100% honest with you either. She knew about SHIELD. She probably knew about most of your dad's secrets. And she kept those secrets from you. For your own protection."

"Yeah, and Ana had to do the same. Because I'm a failure. And a coward."

"Tony…"

"No, it's the truth. Maybe, if Dad had trusted me with his SHIELD business, I would've been able to protect them. I don't blame him, though. I gave him no reason to trust me. And if I hadn't made such a fuss about the damn wormhole… Ana would've trusted me with her secrets. She tried to tell me, Pepper. More than once. And she changed her mind when she saw what a coward I was. I'm going to fail her. I'm going to fail you, the Avengers… I'm going to fail everyone."

"You don't know that."

"I do. Do you know why? Because, in a different reality, I've already failed. I screwed up so bad that my daughter had to travel back in time and sacrifice herself to fix things. At least I know what happened to her. I don't even know what happened to _you_ in that universe!"

Pepper had to admit that this whole "multiverse" thing was a bit eerie. In another reality, they were all dead, and the world had been destroyed. But she forced herself to remain composed. Tony needed her. And eventually, he and Ana would figure this out. They always figured things out. Pepper just had to manage the crisis until they did.

…

Maria Hill hadn't come alone. She had brought Rhodey with her. Rhodey had decided to join the Avengers after Tony had retired, and he wasn't the only addition to the team. Steve had recruited a guy named Sam Wilson. Pepper hadn't personally met him yet, but she knew that he, too, had a military background. And that he had some sort of high-tech wings.

Also, after Tony had "disappointed" him, T'Challa had told the Avengers everything about Thanos. So, now they knew what was going on.

"Hey, Pepper… Tony, how are you holding up, man?" Rhodey gave Tony's shoulder a squeeze before taking a seat.

"That depends on what she has to say," Tony said sharply, glaring at Hill.

Hill handed him an envelope. "Even I don't know what Fury is doing these days, but don't worry, I'll make myself useful."

Tony opened the envelope, and took out an old, wrinkled, black and white picture. Pepper recognized the young Howard Stark and Peggy Carter. But not the other woman. She saw recognition dawn on Tony's face, though.

"I know her. She was at my parents' funeral…"

"That's Sigyn," Hill explained. "She was the one who killed Vasily Karpov."

"Huh…"

Pepper had always thought it was a miracle that Tony had found a daughter on his doorstep about a month after his parents' death. But apparently, as in most so-called miracles, an alien had been involved in this one, too. And now, that alien could give them some insight about Thanos. That was why Hill must have brought this picture.

"This woman has been around for more than a millennium, Tony," Rhodey said. "She's our best lead."

"What about Thor? Doesn't he know anything about Thanos?"

"No. He left for Asgard to confront Loki. He was furious, though. I'm just glad Ana wasn't there when T'Challa told us."

Tony frowned. "And Cap? I'm sure he's more than happy to call Ana a hypocrite."

Rhodey scratched his head. "Yeah, Steve… He's a bit distracted these days."

"Peggy Carter is dead," Hill broke in. "You might want to attend her funeral."

"Why?" Tony shrugged. "I barely knew the woman."

"Sigyn will be there."

"Oh…"

She smirked. "I told you I'd make myself useful."

"When will the funeral be held?" Pepper asked.

"Tomorrow, in London." She took out her phone. "I'm sending you the details."

After Pepper received her message, Hill excused herself from the tower, but Rhodey stayed. He was worried about his best friend.

"You look like shit, man," he said once Hill was gone. "You can't keep doing this. You can't just spiral into this self-destructive path again. You got to pull your act together.

"What do you want me to do?" Tony asked wearily.

"I want you to keep being an Avenger."

"I don't know, I guess it's time for me to tap out."

"Tony, come on! You always said something was coming for us. Nothing has changed."

Tony shot him an incredulous look. "Nothing has changed? _Everything_ has changed!"

"Can I see those files? The ones Ana was hiding from you?"

"Are you sure about that?"

"I just want to know what exactly she had to go through. This is messed up, man, I get it. Do you think you're the only one who's feeling betrayed? I mean, I understand why she didn't want to tell you, but damn… She could've told me, at least."

"Would you really have liked to keep such a big secret from Tony?" Pepper asked him. "I know I wouldn't."

Rhodey sighed thoughtfully. "Yeah, that's why the whole thing is so messed up…"

"Alright," Tony suddenly decided. "I'll show you those files. I must warn you, though, what you're about to see might give you a heart attack…"

Instinctively, Pepper jumped to her feet. "I'll just go and… prepare for our trip to London," she mumbled, and scurried out of the room. She had watched those videos once, but she didn't think she could do it again.

…

Steve looked devastated while carrying Peggy Carter's coffin. Pepper didn't have to tell Tony to be nice to him today; his face made it clear that he respected Steve's grief. In fact, the pain in Steve's eyes seemed to have frightened Tony, so she took his hand into hers and held it tightly to remind him that she wasn't going anywhere.

Rhodey had been sent on a mission in somewhere in Pakistan, so he hadn't been able to join them. But as Hill had promised, Sigyn was here. She wasn't alone, though. There was a dark-haired woman sitting next to her. They didn't talk much, but Pepper could see that for some reason, she was deeply concerned for Sigyn.

Peggy Carter's great-niece, Sharon Carter, gave a eulogy. Pepper had done her homework. Sharon Carter was a former SHIELD agent, but after SHIELD had fallen, she had started working for CIA. The Starks weren't the only family with a legacy to live up to.

 _"Margaret Carter was known to most as the founder of SHIELD, but I just know her as Aunt Peggy. She had a photograph in her office: Aunt Peggy standing next to JFK. As a kid that was pretty cool. But it was a lot to live up to, which is why I never told anyone we were related. I asked her once how she managed to master diplomacy and espionage at a time when no one wanted to see a woman succeed at either. And she said, "Compromise where you can. Where you can't, don't. Even if everyone is telling you that something wrong is something right. Even if the whole world is telling you to move, it is your duty to plant yourself like a tree, look them in the eye, and say, 'No, YOU move'."_

After she stepped down from the podium, Sharon Carter went directly to Sigyn and told her something. It didn't escape Pepper's notice that they were stealing glances in Steve's direction. And Tony's.

Once the funeral was over, Tony and Pepper were approached by Natasha. They hadn't even realized that she was there. "Retirement doesn't suit you, Tony."

Pepper had done her best to make him look presentable, but there was only so much she could do when he barely ate, or slept.

"What are you doing here, Romanoff?" Tony muttered.

"I didn't want Steve to be alone."

Well, Steve wasn't exactly alone. Sam Wilson was here with him, but one could never get too much emotional support in times like this, could they?

Soon, the only ones left in the church were Tony, Pepper, Natasha, Steve, Sam Wilson, Sharon Carter, Sigyn, and the dark-haired woman. Pepper got on her feet and went to greet Steve. Tony followed her lead.

"We're so sorry for your loss, Steve."

"Thanks, Pepper."

"Thank you all for coming," Sharon Carter said politely, then looked at Sigyn and the dark-haired woman. "This is Sigyn, an old family friend of ours, and her sister, Sif."

Sif nodded. "I'm honored to meet the Avengers."

"As am I," Sigyn added. "Last night, I prayed the Norns to let Peggy's soul through the gates of Valhalla."

Steve raised his eyebrows. "I thought only Asgardians were allowed to go to Valhalla."

"True, but they made an exception for my mother once. Perhaps they'll make an exception for Peggy as well."

"Perhaps," he mumbled. He didn't seem sure what to think of all this. As a matter of fact, neither did Pepper.

"I know this is not a good time for any of us, but there's something you need to see," Sigyn went on.

"Unfortunately, I won't be able to join you," Sharon Carter said before leaving.

On their way out of the church, Tony grabbed Sigyn by the arm. "We need to talk."

Sif frowned, but her sister simply smiled. "And we will. Patience, Tony."

Although Sigyn looked like in her 20s, when she spoke to Tony, she somehow sounded like she was an elderly woman talking to her grandson. Except, of course, she was older than Tony's great great grandmother. As for Tony, he didn't seem to be aware that he was in the presence of an exceptionally beautiful woman, which was a first. And to be completely honest, a relief for Pepper. Sigyn would make any woman jealous.

Tony released her. Everyone filed into their cars, and they followed Sigyn's to a small cottage outside of London.

When they entered the house, Pepper immediately put her arms around Tony to prevent him from doing something stupid. So, that was why Sigyn had brought them here…

"Bucky!" Steve gasped.

"Hi, Steve," Sergeant Barnes greeted him wearily.

"Honey, get out of here," Tony, who had protectively put himself between Pepper and Barnes, said. "It's not safe."

"I'm not going anywhere."

"What happened to your arm?" Steve asked. Barnes' metal arm was missing.

"It was a misunderstanding."

Steve glared at the Asgardians. "Did you rip his arm off?"

Bucky sighed. "Calm down, Steve. I told you, it was a misunderstanding."

"What the hell is going on here?" Tony finally snapped. "Give me one reason not to kill this bastard, _right now_!"

"Without your armor, you're no match for Sergeant Barnes, Howardson," Sif reminded him.

Tony looked like he wanted to choke Barnes to death with his bare hands. "Tony, please," Pepper begged him. "She's right."

Thankfully, instead of starting a fight he couldn't possibly win, Tony took a deep breath to steady himself.

"How much do you know about me?" Sigyn asked.

Pepper decided to answer the question, to give Tony more time to calm down. This wasn't easy for him, she knew. The man who had killed his parents was standing right before him. "We know that you're Loki's wife. We know you're half-human, half-Asgardian. You came here to guard the Tesseract after World War II, and became good friends with Howard Stark and Peggy Carter. Once Howard Stark was able to replicate the super soldier serum, he used it on you."

Pepper deliberately left out the part about Irene Clarke and Ana. She didn't think Tony would want anyone to talk about his daughter while Barnes was around.

Sigyn nodded. "True. When the experiment was a success, Howard immediately produced more samples. Five doses, to be specific."

"My mission was to steal them," Barnes broke in.

Tony was now angrily chewing his lip.

"I was in Asgard when HYDRA resurfaced," Sigyn went on. "When Heimdall told us what happened, Sif and I went to Midgard and started looking for Sergeant Barnes. I wanted to know what HYDRA had done with the serum. But more importantly, I wanted to know how much control he had over his actions. I swear to you, Tony, on my honor as a warrior, if I believed Sergeant Barnes was guilty, I would have killed him myself."

"Why did you fight him, then?" Steve asked.

"I didn't know who they were, Steve," Barnes replied. "Hell, I wasn't even sure who I was. So, yeah, we had a fight. I lost. Sigyn, she got inside my head, and… fixed me."

"What they had done to him was horrible. Barbaric. His mind wasn't easy to heal. But once I did, he gave us the location of an old HYDRA base in Siberia, where the other five Winter Soldiers were kept in cryo-cells. They had been injected with Howard's formula."

"There were more of you?" Sam Wilson cried.

"Rest easy. We killed them in their sleep," Sif said.

But Pepper could see that Tony had an entirely different concern. "This Heimdall… He's your gatekeeper, right? He can see everything?"

Sif nodded. "Yes."

"Then why didn't he see HYDRA coming?"

That was actually a good question.

Sigyn bowed her head as if she was about to confess a crime. "As a matter of fact, he did."

"Go on," Tony urged her to continue. For some reason, the focus of his anger had shifted from Barnes to Sigyn.

"They had warned me. Heimdall, Queen Frigga, the Allfather… They had warned me not to directly meddle with mortal affairs. I didn't listen. I told Howard everything. He knew he couldn't trust SHIELD anymore, so he decided to turn the serum over the American government instead. HYDRA found out."

"So, if you just had kept your mouth shut…"

"What about Peggy?" Steve asked. "Did she know?"

"How could I tell her, after what they did to Howard and Maria?"

"Tony, maybe you should sit down," Pepper said. She could see how terribly his legs were shaking. He obeyed. Pepper helped him took out his jacket and loosen his tie.

Sigyn turned to Tony again. "You wanted to know, Tony. Now you do. Howard was my friend. Thanks to him, now I have a chance to die a warrior's death and go to Valhalla."

"And yet, he died because of you!"

"I'll never forgive myself for that. I'll never forgive myself for what Loki did to you and your daughter either. I know he hurt you to spite me."

"Maybe I should kill you to spite _him_."

Sif gave him a death glare that sent chills down Pepper's spine. "Choose your next words very carefully, Stark…"

Sigyn put a hand on her sister's shoulder. "It's alright, sister. If you want to kill me, go ahead, Tony. I will not fight you. But I want you to know that my husband wasn't always a monster."

"I don't care. He was almost going to make Ana kill me. And then he was going to kill her."

"He is complicated."

" _Complicated_?" he sneered.

"After what happened to your parents, Heimdall wouldn't tell me anything that didn't concern the guardian of the Tesseract. Who do you think told me you had a daughter?"

Tony didn't reply. Instead, he simply buried his face in his hands. Pepper gently ran a hand through his hair. He was exhausted. Not physically, perhaps, but mentally and emotionally. Sigyn had given them a lot to process.

"Do you want to leave?" Pepper suggested.

"Not yet."

"What's going to happen to Bucky now?" Steve asked. "We need to clear his name."

Sigyn shook her head. "I'm afraid I cannot help you with that."

"I guess he's going to need a new arm as well," Wilson added.

"Tony? Pepper? " Steve asked. "Maybe you guys can pull some strings…"

"Not my problem," Tony replied, without even looking up. He might not be trying to kill Barnes right now, but he wouldn't easily forgive him either. Pepper shrugged. All she knew was that Tony needed her support right now. And it was all that mattered.

"Tony, come on," Steve insisted.

"Not. My. Problem," he repeated and lifted his head at last. "I wasn't even here for your war buddy, I was here to learn more about Thanos. What, have you forgotten about him? You know, the guy who is going to destroy the world?"

"Who is Thanos?" Barnes asked Steve.

"I'll explain later, Bucky… No, of course I haven't forgotten about him. You and Ana are the ones being irresponsible here, Tony, not us."

"What? Is this somehow our fault now?"

"This started because you let a 17-year-old kid mess with time itself! Without any supervision! What did you think would happen?"

"Boys, come on," Natasha spoke for the first time. "Tearing each other apart won't help anyone. So, Thanos… What do we know about him?"

Sigyn said, "He is one of the most dangerous beings in the universe. Some call him the Mad Titan. When he invades a realm, he murders half of the population. Randomly. Why does he do that, I don't know. What I know is, those who oppose, betray, or disappoint him die a slow and painful death."

Pepper shivered. Loki was right, then. Tony was definitely one of those who had opposed Thanos. _What has he done_? she thought. But then, he had had no other choice. The World Security Council would have nuked New York.

"Have you ever met this guy?" Wilson asked.

A look of horror crossed Sigyn's face. "I wouldn't be here if I had. All I have is rumors."

"But you received some kind of warning, too," Tony said, with a hint of accusation in his voice, and once again, Sif looked at him like she wanted to strangle him. Pepper wished he stopped testing that woman's patience. "That's why you're so interested in him."

"When your daughter visited me in Tonsberg, I shouldn't have refused to help her. I was confused and scared. I didn't know who to trust anymore. But yes, I was aware of the threat."

"You're just full of secrets, aren't you?"

"This one is not _my_ secret to tell, Tony."

"Can he really get all the Infinity Stones?" Steve asked this time.

"He can. But he cannot attack the Nine Realms while Odin is still alive. That's why Loki was posing as Odin. The throne was taking a toll on the Allfather, especially after Queen Frigga's death. We'll try to keep him alive as long as we can. In the meantime, hopefully the Nexus can be created."

"Yeah, Fury and Ana are working on that."

Sigyn frowned, but didn't say anything. Everyone was quiet for a while.

"Is that all?" Tony finally asked, scrambling to his feet.

"I told you everything I know about Thanos."

Pepper smiled politely. "Thank you."

She wondered if Tony would ask them what they were planning to do with Barnes, but he didn't. Instead, he gently took Pepper's hand and led her out of the house in silence. Sigyn saw them off, and gave them her phone number, saying they could call her whenever they needed to.

…

Tony Stark's absence from public sphere wasn't going unnoticed. They wanted to know why Iron Man had suddenly decided to retire. Pepper had received a report from PR earlier today. The report recommended that the Starks should at least do some charity work, a fundraiser, for example, but Pepper had even a better idea. Something that would genuinely make Tony feel good about himself.

"Pepper?" His voice came through the intercom. "Are you busy?"

"No," she replied, and it was true. Today hadn't been a busy day. She was just going through her e-mails.

"Good, come up to my lab. I want to show you something."

"Okay, I'm coming."

After Peggy Carter's funeral, Tony had finally started getting better. He was more focused now. Knowing that they were safe as long as Odin was alive most certainly helped. He still refused to call Ana, though, or return to the Avengers, claiming that it was for their own protection. And Ana refused to speak with him as well.

Tony was wearing a strange pair of glasses when Pepper entered the lab. "Close your eyes," he said, and Pepper obeyed. Soon, she felt him place a pair of glasses on her nose.

"Okay, JARVIS, let's begin… You can open your eyes."

When Pepper opened her eyes, she wasn't in the lab anymore. Instead, she was standing in an unfamiliar, but elegant living room. A woman was playing the piano and singing a beautiful song. And that woman was… Tony's mom.

"Wake up, dear, and say goodbye to your father."

And then, Howard Stark walked into the room. "Who is the homeless person on the couch?" he asked, removing the Santa hat from the face of said person on the couch, and revealing the face of a young Tony Stark.

"Tony," Pepper said warily. "Please tell me you didn't invent time-travel…"

The scene froze, and Tony laughed. "What? Oh, no. This is just a simulation. I just wanted to see how realistic you'd find it. But since you thought I invented time-travel, I guess I did a good job."

The virtual living room began to fade away in blue pixels, and soon, they were back in Tony's lab. Pepper's relief was beyond words.

"What was that?"

"That was Binarily Augmented Retro-Framing, or BARF for short. It's just a therapeutic experiment to clear traumatic memories. It's not fully ready yet, but you get the idea."

"So, this is your cure for PTSD?" She was both impressed, and moved.

"Yeah, but this stuff costs, like, six hundred and eleven million dollars, so…"

"It won't be available for everyone." There was a limit to even what Stark Industries could do.

"No."

"At least you'll be able to heal yourself."

"It's not just for me. I made this for Ana. Even if we defeat Thanos, her life's been ruined, Pepper, with all that fear and secrecy… She doesn't deserve that."

"It wasn't your fault, Tony."

"Maybe it was. Maybe it wasn't. I don't know. All I know is, I gotta do something to fix it. But I don't even know if she'll agree to use BARF."

"Why don't you just ask her?"

"Can you talk to her for me? She's more likely to listen to you."

There was another question that had been nagging at her for some time, though. "Tony, this is impressive, don't get me wrong, but… The Tony I know would be looking for the Infinity Stones right now. He would be helping Ana build this Nexus. I have a feeling that you do this just to distract yourself. So, tell me, Tony. What is it that you're so afraid of?"

His smile faded, and fear clouded his eyes again. Nevertheless, he must have decided to share his concerns with her. "That message from the future was meant for Ana. Not for me. That means I'm not good enough to do this. Or worse, maybe my involvement was the reason why they failed. Maybe I should just stay out of it."

So, not being good enough. That was the fear that had been eating at him. "I refuse to believe that. If you weren't supposed to know about the Nexus, Ana would've warned her past self. I think she was just trying to protect you. But now that you know the truth, you can help her. Together, there's nothing you two can't do."

"I don't know the whole truth. There are… gaps in JARVIS' memory. I tried to recover the data, but I can't. Ana has made sure of that. So, either there're things I'm not supposed to know, or—"

"Or, Ana is about to do something very dangerous."

He nodded gravely.

"All the more reason for you to see her."

"She doesn't want to see me. And that's smart. I can't believe I'm saying this, but she's safer with Fury than she's with me. You shouldn't be around me either, but… I love you too much."

"Tony… Ana has been plotting against the most dangerous being in the universe. Pushing her away won't keep her safe. You pushed your parents away, and now it takes six hundred and eleven million dollars for you to heal. Do you really want to make the same mistake again?"

For a moment, he remained silent, but then shook his head. He knew she was right.

"I received a report from PR today," she went on. "They want us to do some charity work. And that includes Ana, too."

"Okay," he relented. "What do you have in mind?"

"A scholarship program, to fund promising students… To fund their costly, but awesome projects, without expecting anything from them in return."

"Projects like BARF?"

The acronym made her giggle. "Yes, like BARF. Any clever names for the program?"

He thought for a moment. "What about… The September Foundation?" He must have got the inspiration from the last song his mom had played.

"Perfect."

"So, where do we start?"

"Do you really need to ask?"

He grinned. "MIT?"

"Yes."

"I tell you what, maybe I'll give a presentation and introduce BARF."

Pepper froze. This wasn't something he would normally do. "Tony, are you sure you want to reveal such a personal memory?" It was admirable, of course, but she knew doing that would make him feel vulnerable.

He simply shrugged.

"Okay, I'll call Ana and tell her about the September Foundation. We can discuss the details later."

"I love you," he said, and pulled her into a kiss. Pepper didn't remember when was the last time they had shared such a passionate kiss, but it didn't matter. She had missed this. And she could see that he had missed it, too. Perhaps things were indeed going back to normal… As normal as they could be.

…

Ana had agreed to make a public appearance with her dad, and soon, MIT and Stark Industries had arranged a presentation. The details had been kept from the public; all they knew was that Tony Stark had a big announcement to make. They were excited. But no one could possibly be more excited than Tony Stark himself. He was hoping he could convince Ana to return home after the presentation, with Pepper's help, of course.

Two days before their flight to Massachusetts, they went on a date to their favorite restaurant in New York. Everything was going perfect, until a sudden nausea hit Pepper. The steak she had been eating suddenly looked and smell disgusting. She excused herself and rushed to the bathroom. Once she threw up, she started feeling better. She washed her face, then leaned against the sink, trying to figure out what the hell had just happened. Maybe it was food poisoning? Or, someone had tried to poison them? Not all of their enemies lived billions of light years away. Maybe she should warn Tony…

But when she saw the reflection of the woman that had just emerged from a stall behind her in the mirror, another possibility occurred to Pepper.

 _No, no, no… Not now._

The woman smiled politely when she realized Pepper had been staring at her. Or rather, her belly. Her pregnant belly. After the pregnant woman left, Pepper instinctively placed her hands on her own flat one.

These days, she was back on her birth control pills, but to be honest, she hadn't bothered while Tony had been basically a zombie for nearly six months.

Now feeling like a zombie herself, she returned to their table, and forced herself to finish her dinner.

"Honey? Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she lied.

"More wine?"

She looked at the wine as if it were poison. "No, thanks."

She barely remembered the rest of the night. In the morning, she woke up before Tony, and went to the nearest store to buy a pregnancy test. She was wearing a baseball cap and a pair of dark sunglasses, so thankfully, no one recognized her. She then returned to the tower, and locked herself in the bathroom.

The test confirmed her suspicions. Maybe she should do another test, and visit her OB-GYN. And she would. But deep down, she already knew it was true. Pepper hadn't even realized how loudly she had been crying until Tony knocked on the door. She went to unlock it.

Tony didn't say anything. He was simply staring at the pregnancy test. Then he gently wrapped an arm around Pepper's waist, and led her to their bedroom.

 _This is wrong_ , she thought as Tony made her sit in the bed. They were supposed to be celebrating. Deep down, Pepper had always wanted to have Tony's baby. And she knew that Tony wanted to have a kid with her as well.

For hours, neither of them spoke. They just held each other's hand and sat on the bed. They were going to have a kid. No, they already had a kid, but now they were going to have another, a much more vulnerable one.

At last, he placed a hand on her belly and asked, "Do you have a name in mind?"

Pepper chuckled. They both knew that the name wasn't their biggest concern, but as usual, Tony was being evasive. "We don't even know if it's a boy, or girl."

"How about a unisex name, then? Like that eccentric uncle of yours, Morgan…"

"Well, there's still plenty time to decide. Let's not hurry."

"I tell you what, you don't have to come to MIT with me. Stay here and take a few days off. Maybe go see your mom and tell her she's going to be a grandmother…"

Well, that was a tempting idea. Yes, she wanted to see Ana, but her emotions were all over the place; she really wasn't in the mood for an exhausting business trip right now. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, Ana and I will figure this out. We always figure it out."

"Bring our daughter home, okay? Whatever she's doing, I don't want her to do it alone."

Tony's features brightened with a smile of astonished delight. Pepper had never openly called Ana her daughter before. And Ana had never called Pepper mom. Maybe she would have, if Pepper and Tony had started a relationship when Ana was younger, but at this point, it would be a bit weird. Still, Pepper had been feeling much more protective and possessive of Ana after finding out the awful truth about her biological mother.

"I promise," he whispered.

"Tony…

"Yes?"

"How are we going to protect this baby?"

Tony might be evasive, but Pepper wasn't. It was a question that needed to be asked. And just because he was evasive didn't mean he didn't have a plan. Pepper wanted to hear it.

He thought for a moment. "Maybe it's time for me to return to the Avengers. We'll move to the new compound. It's still a work in progress, but once it's done, that place will be a fortress. We'll keep you safe. Plus, if the Asgardian Barbie is right, we have nothing to fear as long as Odin is alive."

She closed her eyes, and let out a deep breath of relief. She had thought his plan would be pushing her away, as he usually did when he wanted to protect someone. Thankfully, this time, she had been wrong about him.


	13. Chapter 13

Years ago, before moving to New York, Ana had made her father a promise. _"Everything I do, I do it to remain your daughter."_ She was still determined to keep that promise. That was why she was driving to an ATCU facility in South Bend right now. Or rather, whatever was left of the facility. Advanced Threat Containment Unit, or ATCU, had been founded as the government's response to the recent Inhuman phenomenon. The world was changing fast. Being raised by a futurist had made Ana adaptable. Change was an inevitable part of life, and the wisest thing you could do was to embrace it. Unfortunately, not everyone was as open-minded as she was. Those Watchdogs, for example. She suspected they had used Nitramene, one of Howard Stark's most dangerous inventions, to attack the ATCU facility. She wanted to know how the Watchdogs had stolen the formula and weaponized it.

She was hoping to be the first one to arrive at the crime scene, but the local police and FBI were already there by the time she arrived. So was SHIELD, apparently.

 _This is going to be awkward_ , she thought when she spotted Skye and Agent Fitz. But it was also a good opportunity to find out why Sigyn had warned Skye against Ana.

Skye seemed different than she remembered. Her hair was shorter, but more importantly, she seemed more confident overall. More focused. It looked like she was more than "just a consultant" now.

It was the third agent, the one Ana had never seen before, who noticed Ana's rental Audi TT first, though. When they realized he had been staring at something, Skye and Fitz turned around to see what it was.

Skye flashed Ana an angry smile when she stepped out of the car. "Oh, look who's here…"

"Hello, Skye… Agent Fitz, we haven't officially met yet, but—"

"I know who you are," Fitz said dryly, and turned his back to Ana. So, she extended her hand to the other agent, the only one who didn't seem disgusted to see her here. "Hi, I'm Ana Stark."

"Agent Mackenzie." He shook her hand. "You guys know each other?"

"Yeah, we met once, at the Academy."

"She's the one who told the Avengers that Coulson was alive," Skye said harshly, and stormed off.

"So, do you know what caused the implosion?" Ana asked Mackenzie.

"Nitramene. We just confirmed it. I suppose that's why you're here?"

"Yeah. Thanks, Agent Mackenzie. Now, excuse me, please," she mumbled, and went after Skye.

"Skye! I'm sorry, okay? You were right. Coulson's secret wasn't mine to tell… Skye, please!"

"It's Daisy now. Daisy Johnson," she said without looking at Ana.

Ana didn't ask why she had changed her name. She could find out later. "Okay, Daisy, then… Look, can we talk?"

She followed her into an alley. When Daisy turned around and saw that Ana was there, she raised her hands, and suddenly, an invisible blast sent Ana flying against a wall. The blast was coming from Daisy's hands.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Ana banged her left wrist against the wall, the watch she was wearing turned into an Iron Man gauntlet, and she hit Daisy with an ultrasonic pulse.

 _Thanks for the blueprints, Dad…_

The pulse stunned Daisy, and she staggered backward, releasing the pressure that had been pinning Ana against the wall. She had fallen hard on her knees, though, and had she not reactivated Extremis, she would have to be taken to a hospital right now. Her dad's formula wouldn't give her super strength, or let her melt stuff, but it would help her heal faster than normal.

When the Inhuman Outbreak had first started, she had taken one of those fish oil pills to see if she was one of those with dormant powers, but nothing had happened. Well, when had she ever been that lucky? So, she had taken the matters into on her own hands and activated Extremis. She didn't care if it made her a lab experiment like Captain America. She needed all the power she could have.

When Daisy raised her hand again, Ana prepared to defend herself, but she was still hoping for a civilized conversation. "Come on, Daisy… Do we really have to do this?"

Much to her relief, Daisy lowered her hand and scrambled to her feet. Ana did the same. "What are you even doing here?"

Ana deactivated the gauntlet, and it collapsed back into the smartwatch. "It seems yet another Stark invention has fallen into the wrong hands. I want to know how."

"Well, just stay out of our way, okay?"

"Look, I'm sorry. It's just… My dad really cared about Coulson, and I didn't want to lie to him. It was wrong, I know. But that's my problem. When I have to make a choice between being a good person and a good daughter, I always choose the latter."

"This is not just about Coulson."

Ana nodded. "I know. What exactly did Sigyn tell you?"

"That you'd turn me into the Destroyer of Worlds."

She couldn't help but snort. This was absurd. "The Destroyer of Worlds?"

"Yeah, at first, it didn't make any sense to me either. Then I got these powers, and…"

"You're one of the Inhumans…"

"What about you?" she asked, looking at Ana's legs. There was a hint of regret in her voice. Ana knew Daisy hadn't really meant to hurt her. "You seem... quite resilient."

"It's a long story."

"Whatever... I'm scared, Ana! Can you blame me?"

"What exactly is your power?"

She made no reply.

"Come on, Daisy. Help me figure this out."

"I can control vibrations. Cause earthquakes. _Destroy_ things."

"Okay, but… you can't just _destroy worlds_."

"I know. I'm not that strong."

"No, it's not about how powerful you are. Yeah, maybe you can cause earthquakes, but you can't destroy a planet. That's scientifically impossible."

"Why?" she asked, then added, "The short version, please."

"Well, gravity, of course… Can you somehow disable the Earth's gravitational force with your powers?"

"No, that's not how it works."

"Then you have nothing to fear."

"But why did Sigyn warn me?"

"Maybe she mistook me for Oppenheimer," Ana joked, but shivered when she recalled that Robert Oppenheimer was a physicist, just like Ana.

" _Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds."_

What if this "Destroyer of Worlds" wasn't just a metaphor? The time-traveler had said the Earth had been destroyed. Naturally, Ana had always assumed that it was Thanos who had done that. What if she had been wrong? Maybe, the other Ana had been so desperate to stop Thanos that she had gone too far. Loki had said the darkness inside her was the reason why Thanos might want to adopt her. Surely, creating a living weapon of mass destruction was one hell of a way to impress a homicidal maniac.

"Look, this might be a joke to you, but not to me. You don't understand what it's like, to have these powers."

"You're right. I don't. But I understand how time works. The future can be changed."

"I don't know, Fitz keeps saying that time is fixed."

"Time _is_ fixed. Reality is not. There's an infinite number of different possibilities, based on the different choices we make."

"The multiverse theory," Fitz himself broke in. Agents Fitz and Mackenzie must have come to find Daisy. "I don't understand, you never mentioned it in your research…"

Daisy cocked an eyebrow. "You read Ana's research?"

"Everyone who was remotely interested in temporal quantum physics read that research," Fitz said.

"Yeah, it was kind of a big deal back in the day… But the thing is, I was sixteen when I wrote that research. I was wrong."

"No, you weren't. There's nothing that can prove the existence of a parallel universe, or even another dimension. Just think about it, if there were an infinite number of universes in the Cosmos, someone would've discovered something by now. A transdimensional anomaly, like an object, or even a living being from one of those realities, or an intersection point…"

Fitz's argument made Ana a bit guilty. What she had been going through was actually a groundbreaking scientific discovery, but she wasn't ready to share her findings with the world yet. Perhaps one day…

"Guys!" Daisy broke in. "Sorry to interrupt your science debate, but we gotta go."

Right. SHIELD wasn't even supposed to be here. Not officially, at least. If they lingered any longer than necessary, they might get into trouble.

"Yeah, you guys should probably go. Again, I'm really sorry about what I did to Coulson. I'd like to apologize to him in person sometime."

"Coulson isn't even mad at you," Daisy said. "He's got more important things to worry about."

"You're very protective of him. I can only respect that."

Her face softened. "Thanks. But this whole spacetime discussion kind of hurts my head, so I guess I'll just play it safe. Let's just not tempt fate, okay?"

"I'll stay away from you, then."

After they left, Ana decided to call Fury.

"Ana, what's the situation there?" he asked.

"I was right, the Watchdogs have weaponized Nitramene. Coulson's people were also here, by the way."

"Good. Let them deal with this. You return to Oakland."

"No. Someone stole a Stark invention, and I want to find those bastards."

"Coulson can handle it. We're doing this my way, Ana, remember?"

"Fury…"

"Yeah?"

"It wasn't Thanos who destroyed the world in that future, was it? It was me."

Fury remained silent for a moment. Then, he said, "You were responsible for the destruction, yes."

She ended the call. Damn, she must have screwed the pooch hard in that timeline.

…

Ana would love to have a word with Sigyn about this whole the Destroyer of Worlds thing, but Fury had said it was a risk they couldn't take. _"If she finds out what we're up to, you can forget about the Darkhold,"_ he had said.

In the meantime, SHIELD had somehow become a legitimate agency again. Considering the widespread confusion and fear about the Inhumans, it was inevitable. It had taken a new Inhuman director—Fury had said he wasn't really an Inhuman, but whatever—and a lot of PR work to make that happen, but it had been done.

SHIELD wasn't the only one who needed a lot of PR work, though. Pepper said Ana had to make a public appearance with her dad sometime. Ana thought this might be her only chance to say goodbye to them before she read the Darkhold and went crazy, so she agreed to introduce the September Foundation with her dad and Pepper at MIT. But to her shock, Pepper canceled one day before the presentation. So, it would be just Ana and her dad.

He was already there by the time Ana arrived, giving instructions on how to set up some kind of projection equipment. Pepper had told her that he was going to introduce a new tech, but Ana had no idea what it would be about. She thought of starting a casual conversation by asking him, but then, realized she wasn't ready for this meeting. Not at all. And someone would soon tell him that she was here. So, she rushed to the bathroom, hoping no one would come after her.

She recalled the last time she had been here. Her graduation, the valedictory speech, the celebration dinner afterward… How lost, broken, and confused she had been for no reason. Yet there had been an arrogance in her confusion. She had acted like she had figured out life itself. In the end, she had just been a typical, annoying teenager. Ana still didn't know why anyone would tolerate that version of her. But her dad had. He had never given up on her, no matter how cruel she had been to him.

Ana didn't want to be a bitch to him today. She missed him. She missed Pepper, too. But she had to pretend like she was still mad at him, so that she could have an excuse to stay in Oakland. The distance provided her the privacy she needed to pursue the Darkhold.

She studied her face in the mirror for some time, to see if she would start to glow. It sometimes happened, when she was too excited, or upset about something. One of the side effects of Extremis. Right now, there was no glowing, though. She touched her cheeks to see if she was too hot. She wasn't. Good. She just applied more concealer beneath her eyes, and smoothed her dress. The presentation had already started by the time she returned to the backstage. She barely noticed an assistant putting a microphone on her.

At first, she didn't understand what the hell was going on when she saw the holograms of her grandparents, and a younger version of her dad, but soon realized that he was revealing a very personal and painful memory in front of these people. She had absolutely no idea why he had decided to do something like this. All she could do was to watch him with a mixture of confusion and disapproval. She hated it when he left himself so vulnerable. Both physically and emotionally. Sometimes he forgot that they were surrounded by sharks.

After presenting BARF, he announced the September Foundation. The students cheered in delight. _Poor Dad_. He was a true philanthropist. He was trying so hard to make this world a better place that Ana wondered what he would do if he found out his own daughter was potentially responsible for its destruction.

" _Now, I'd like to present you another MIT alum, my daughter, and my greatest creation… Ana Stark."_ This wasn't exactly what was written on the teleprompter. It was just his way of letting her know he was glad she had come.

She walked on to the stage, her legs felt like jelly. Not because of stage fear. These people didn't mean anything to her right now. Still, she remembered to smile. It was a fake smile, of course, unlike his. They had an unspoken rule: No matter what happened, they would never embarrass each other in front of others.

"Thanks, Dad. It's good to be back here. But I'm afraid my presentation is going to be a much more boring one compared to yours."

People laughed. But indeed, Ana was just going to give a short speech about the details of the grant. Her dad had said all projects had been approved, but there were still some rules, such as deadlines and plagiarism policies.

This probably had reminded people what a stoic bitch Ana Stark was, especially compared to her father, but she didn't care anymore. Even if she wanted to make personal anecdotes to look more sympathetic, she had no idea what she was supposed to say, so she just stuck to the prompter.

Soon, it was over. As soon as she got rid of the microphone, she went to pick up her bag and jacket. Then without a word, her dad grabbed her by the arm and led her out. His grip was gentle, but firm, and his steps so hasty that she could barely keep up. At some point, she even wondered if they were running away from someone or something. He only stopped once they had to wait for the elevator. She could feel his gaze on herself, but now that they were alone, she couldn't look at him. Thankfully, he didn't force her to.

"Lunch?" he simply asked instead.

"Yeah, good idea."

He drove her to a quiet diner. It had taken some time for them to get used to being in each other's presence again, but now, she could feel that they were both comfortable enough to talk. Ana was dying to ask him what had happened with Pepper, but decided to start with a simpler question instead.

"I heard you met Sigyn in London. And that she had Sergeant Barnes."

"Yeah. My dad's secret BFF was an alien. Sounds pretty crazy when you think about it."

"Barnes is in Wakanda, by the way. T'Challa offered him sanctuary."

"Who told you that?"

"I have my sources."

He gave her a quizzical look.

"Shuri," she explained, stating the obvious.

"Right. Are you girls… cool? I mean, it was T'Challa who told me about the Nexus Protocol, after all."

"It wasn't his fault… or Shuri's. Besides, she's recently lost her father. She needs all the support she can get."

The truth was, Shuri's grief had terrified Ana. And Shuri knew one day she would see her father again in the Ancestral Plane. T'Challa already had, after his coronation. Ana didn't have that sort of privilege. When she and her dad lost each other, they would lose each other for good. No reunions. It might be a selfish thought, but it was the truth. No amount of money could buy a private dimension for afterlife. Even Shuri didn't know how the Wakandan royal family had acquired one.

Another awkward silence. It didn't escape her notice that he was staring at her gauntlet watch, so she took it off and handed it to him.

"I'm glad you decided to use the blueprints," he said, examining the gadget. Seemingly satisfied with her engineering skills, he gave it back to her.

"Have you seen what happened to that ATCU facility in South Bend?"

Ana's heart jumped to her throat, but she tried to remain calm. Maybe he was just trying to make the conversation going. "Yeah, do you think it was Nitramene?"

"Honey, you _know_ it was Nitramene. You were there."

 _Shit._

"What happened between you and Daisy Johnson? Or, what do they call her these days? Quake, right? I got the footage from a security cam, but there was no audio."

"It was a semi-friendly encounter."

" _Semi-friendly encounter_? Come one, kid! Either you guys had a fight, or that was one hell of a secret handshake."

"She's still mad at me about Coulson, but she knows we're on the same side."

"I'm actually proud of you. You were able to hold your own against an Inhuman. And you fell really hard on your knees, from what, 10 feet, then stood up and walked like nothing happened… You activated Extremis, didn't you?"

"I heal faster now. One less thing to worry about," she defended herself.

"At least tell me it's still my formula."

"It is. No modifications, I swear."

"Good. What about your suit?"

Ana was beginning to realize how hard it actually was to keep a secret from him. "What makes you think I have a suit?"

"After that incident in South Bend, the Watchdogs have never used Nitramene again. What did you do?"

She decided to tell him the truth. After all, it was something she had done for him. "Fury told me to let SHIELD handle it, but I didn't listen. I found out who'd been messing with Grandpa Stark's formula. An ex-SHIELD agent, Felix Blake."

"And what happened to this Agent Blake?"

"I killed him. Don't worry, though, it can't be traced back to me. I was careful. Fury himself taught me a few tricks."

"So, you're a vigilante now, like your friend Quake?"

Ana was trying not to keep tabs on Daisy, but she knew Daisy had left SHIELD, become a vigilante known as "Quake," and basically declared war on the Watchdogs. Once Blake was dead, the Watchdogs had never used the Nitramene again, so Ana had left the rest of them to Daisy. She had promised to stay out of her way, after all.

"Daisy is not my friend. And I'm not a _vigilante_. Blake had stolen a Stark invention. What I did was a one-time thing."

"I haven't been able to capture a satellite image of your suit yet. It must have a pretty decent cloaking system."

"Wow, you've gone into full control freak mode…"

He smirked. "You know what they say, kid. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me."

"So, are you going to spend the rest of your life watching my every move?"

"I just want to make sure you're not doing anything stupid."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. You tell me. Why are there gaps in JARVIS' memory, Ana?"

She made no reply.

" _That_ bad, huh?"

"I'm not sure yet," she said, and it wasn't entirely a lie. She still wasn't sure what exactly she was supposed to do. But following a book that had been created by dark magic to a place called "Hell" couldn't possibly be a good thing.

"Sorry," he said all of a sudden. "I'm not trying to turn this into an interrogation, I swear."

"Well, you already have."

"I guess I have. It's just… I know you've been going through a lot, and I want to help. Tell me, what do you think of BARF?"

"It's cool. Not cost-effective, but cool."

"You didn't like it…"

"It's not the tech. I just wish you hadn't revealed such a personal memory. We have too many enemies, Dad, we can't afford to show any weakness."

" _We can't afford to show any weakness,"_ he repeated, chuckling, but Ana couldn't tell if he was angry, or amused. "You sound just like my dad…"

"I thought I reminded you of your mom."

"I've recently come to the conclusion that you're an unnerving combination of both."

"Do I unnerve you?"

"I can't protect you from yourself, kid."

"I'm sorry, Dad. I really am. For everything I did. Though I don't deserve forgiveness."

"Come on, Ana! I just thought you'd be better off without me, so I pushed you away. You're a smart kid, you know that. I wish I could take back all those terrible things I said. I didn't mean any of them. But with BARF, we can have that conversation again. Please, just come home."

The thing was, he hadn't even raised his voice to her before that. She had had no idea how scary he could actually be. Of course, she had seen him angry before, but his wrath had always been directed at their enemies. That was why this was so unusual for both of them. But Ana didn't blame him. She had deserved much worse than a few harsh words. So, she decided not to pretend like she still wasn't ready to forgive him. She couldn't torment him like that. Besides, he apparently saw through every lie she told now. It would be much more truthful if she said she wouldn't come home because she couldn't forgive herself.

"But you _were_ mad at me. That part wasn't an act."

"Look, I overreacted, okay? I've never fought an intergalactic custody battle before. Be patient with me."

She laughed. "Dad, I'm not a kid anymore."

"You're not going to stop being my baby girl just because you have a few trillion extra cells now."

She laughed again. No one could convince him that she wasn't his little girl anymore, so she decided not to bother.

"If you think I'm a control freak, wait until Pepper finds out about your shenanigans. You're lucky I haven't told her anything."

He was actually right. If Pepper learned that Ana had hunted down a former SHIELD agent, she would be screwed. "Speaking of, where's Pepper?"

"She's fine. She just needed a break."

"A break? Dad, she would've never missed this. What's going on?"

"She, uhm… There's no easy way to say this, so I'm just going to say it. Ready?"

"Okay," she said, puzzled.

"She's pregnant."

Pregnant. Pepper was pregnant. She didn't ask him if it was planned. That would be a stupid question. Who would plan to have a baby, knowing these might be the end times? But this was good news. He and Pepper would finally have the family they deserved. If they survived Thanos, they could be happy. And maybe, they wouldn't miss Ana too much while she rotted in Hell, wherever that was. Her sacrifice would keep them safe. That was the least she could do after ruining their lives.

"I'm happy for you guys."

"What about you? This is your little brother or sister we're talking about."

"Yeah, I'm happy, too," she lied.

"You don't seem very happy."

"Maybe I'm just jealous."

She thought he would laugh at the joke, but he didn't. "You're our daughter, too."

"Thanks, Dad."

He ran a hand over his face wearily. "God, we haven't even talked about Irene yet…"

"I'd like to keep it that way," she said coldly.

"Don't you want to know more about her?"

"No."

"Come on, kid, you almost invented time-travel for this woman! Now you say you don't care? I don't believe it."

"Dad, I think it's time for you to focus on your real family."

"Really? After everything that's happened, are we back to square one?"

"I'm just being realistic here."

"No," he said sharply, and only then, she realized how much she had offended him. "If you think I'm going to love this baby more than I love you, you're not being realistic. You're being delusional. "

"Sorry, Dad. I didn't mean to upset you. Sometimes, everything seems just… complicated. It's not your fault. It's not anybody's fault."

His face softened. Well, he had never been able to remain angry with her for more than a few minutes. "You're my daughter. I love you. Pepper loves you. Morgan will love you, too. It's that simple."

She couldn't help but smile. "Morgan? Are you going to name the baby after Pepper's uncle?"

"It's just an inside joke for now, but who knows?"

Morgan… It was actually a beautiful name.

"We're moving to the new compound," he announced.

"Good idea. You guys are going to be safer there."

"You should come and see it. It's actually a nice place."

"I'm sure it is. You never do anything halfway."

"We're selling the tower. We can keep it if you want, of course, but you were right, kid. It's full of bad memories."

"I never liked that tower much." She might be sentimental about the Malibu mansion, but not about any of the other properties they owned. And to be honest, the tower could be her least favorite. It was a part of her lies.

"Your new room has a lake view. It's nothing like the ocean, of course, but I thought it might remind you of Malibu."

"I can't come with you, Dad. Sorry."

That was a tempting offer, but she had to say no. There was no way she would have enough privacy to seek the Darkhold while JARVIS was watching her every move.

…

After the lunch, he offered to give Ana a ride to the airport, for she had a flight to catch. As for her dad, his private jet would be waiting for him.

He stopped the car in front of the domestic terminal. "I suppose this is where we say goodbye…"

"Yeah, I fly commercial these days."

"Why don't you just take one of the jets?"

"For a five-hour flight? It would just be a waste of money."

He frowned. "If you need money—"

"Dad, I got, like, two billion dollars in my private account. I'll be fine."

"Alright, Miss Cheapskate… Are you sure you don't want to come to New York with me?"

"I can't. And for the record, I've booked a first-class seat. I'm not a cheapskate."

"Pepper's going to kill me when she finds out I screwed this up. I promised her to bring you home."

"I'll talk to Pepper, don't worry. And you didn't screw it up. I just want to focus on my mission. I have to build the Nexus."

"Yeah, why do I get the feeling that you're about to do something awful every time you say that?"

 _Because you're too damn smart. We both are._ Pepper always said she sometimes wondered if the two shared a brain. She had a point. Ana had only been able to lie to him in the past because he had chosen not to ask too many questions. But that was never going to happen again.

"Don't worry about me."

"Can I at least hug you?"

"Of course."

It broke her heart that he now felt like he had to ask for permission to hug her, so she gave him the warmest hug she could. He seemed to have understood, because he was smiling like he was once again the luckiest man in the world as Ana climbed out of the car.

…

After moving to the Wakandan Outreach Center in Oakland, Ana had decided to build herself a suit. She had told Shuri and Nakia that it was just for emergencies, but the truth was, she used it to travel back and to Fury's secret base, which was located in the middle of nowhere. True, she had also used it to kill Blake, but that was just an exception. Also, of course, she wanted to be able to travel fast enough if the opportunity to follow the Darkhold to Hell revealed itself somewhere.

She actually wanted to design a nanotech suit, but she had decided not to start with such an ambitious project. After all, this was her first suit. It was for stealth; it had retro-reflective panels for cloaking, and OLEDs for active camouflage. The joints were made of sound-absorbent material, so that it made no noise as she moved. But now, she had decided to upgrade the weapons. Not that she really thought it was necessary, but she needed something to keep herself occupied. Giving Pepper a call was harder than she had thought it would be. If she asked her to come home, Ana wasn't sure if she had enough will to refuse her. Refusing her dad had been hard enough. But she didn't want her to think it was him who had failed to convince Ana to come home either. So, she decided to suck it up, and hit the second number on her speed dial.

It didn't take long for Pepper to answer the call. "Hey, Ana…"

"Hi, Pep. How are you doing?"

"To be honest, I'd be a lot better if you were here right now."

"Yeah, sorry about that. Dad did his best, but you know how stubborn I can be. Seriously, though, how are _you_ doing? Dad told me about Morgan."

She laughed. "Oh my God, Ana… You, too?"

"Yep."

"Frankly, I don't feel any different… Yet. I went to see my OB-GYN yesterday, and she said the baby is three weeks old, perfectly healthy." Ana had never heard so much happiness in her voice before. Perhaps that was why she started crying.

"You'll be a great mom, Pepper."

"Am I not already?"

Ana covered her mouth with her hand, but she had been too late, and a loud sob escaped.

"Ana? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. There's no need to sugarcoat the truth, Pepper. We all know that my mother was just a vindictive bitch."

"That's why you deserve someone better."

This was all Ana had ever wanted. To be Pepper's daughter. But now, it meant that Pepper was going to lose a daughter as well. She now understood her dad better, why he tended to push the people he cared about away when there was a threat.

"And you deserve a better kid."

"Why don't you come here, so that we can discuss that face to face?"

"I can't."

"What are you even doing in Oakland?"

"Nothing. Just some tinkering."

"Are you scared to come back to New York?"

"Why would I be _scared_?"

"Nobody is blaming you, Ana. On the contrary, everyone wants to help you. Whatever it is you're doing, you can do it faster here."

"Like I always say, I'm more efficient when I work alone."

"At least tell me you're not going to miss the baby shower… Or the birth."

"I'll try not to."

"Well, maybe _Morgan_ can change your mind."

"Maybe… Talk to you later, Pep."

"Take care," she huffed.

Ana hung up the phone, and returned to her suit. She just hoped she wouldn't end up in Hell until Morgan was born. She wanted to at least meet her baby brother or sister before leaving this world behind.


	14. Chapter 14

"I can't believe you've brought a fourteen-year-old kid into this," Pepper said, shaking her head in disapproval.

"Come on, Pep… I gave him a suit, that's all. He would've got himself killed in that onesie. Let him save some puppies. It's good practice. Safe."

"Is that what you're going to tell his aunt? Poor woman, she's going to have a heart attack when she finds out…"

"Well, it's not that bad. The craziest thing Peter has done is stopping a bus. It's not like he's conspiring against the most dangerous creature in the universe, or anything… Unlike somebody else I know."

Pepper chuckled. "Is that why you're so interested in this boy? Because he has a secret?"

Tony had found Peter Parker while looking for potential recruits for the team. The world was going to need more superheroes. Tony wasn't going to train a teenager to fight against Thanos, but he still felt like it was his duty to help Peter. He didn't know the details of the "incident," but he knew Peter hadn't been given a choice in this. That was not fair. Besides, he liked Peter. For someone with such impressive skills, he was a humble young man.

"Look, he can't tell his aunt what's going on with him, so he needs all the help he can get. I'm just the help."

"You said he was smart. Maybe you should also give him an actual internship."

"Yeah, that can be arranged."

Pepper put her hands on her belly. "I wonder if you'll be able to remain so calm if Morgan decides to become a superhero one day."

" _Me_? What about you?"

"I refuse to think about that at least for the next two decades."

Tony still couldn't believe Pepper had a baby inside her. _His_ baby. And he didn't think the reality of it would sink in until he held the baby in his arms. Sometimes, he even envied Pepper. She already shared a physical connection with their child while Tony had to wait until Morgan came into this world.

"Speaking of, Ana has a suit," he blurted out, and hoped Pepper wouldn't overreact. She could sometimes be even more overprotective than Tony. That was why he hadn't told her before.

"What?" she cried. "Are you… sure?"

"She didn't deny it when I asked. And you know I planted a tracking device on her, right?" He had planted it while giving her a goodbye hug at the airport, and been observing her since then. Thankfully, so far, she hadn't noticed anything. She wasn't going to be happy when she found out, but Tony didn't care. He had failed to see that something was wrong with her once. He wasn't going to make the same mistake again.

"And?"

"It has an excellent cloaking system, so I've not been able to get any images yet, but she occasionally comes and goes between Oakland and a secret bunker in Nevada. And she travels really fast, so…"

"So, it must be a suit… What are you going to do?"

"It's not the suit I'm worried about."

"What is it, Tony?"

"Ana keeps talking about building the Nexus, but she's not trying to find the Infinity Stones. She's not looking for anything. It's almost like… she's just waiting."

"Waiting for what?"

"I don't know. Theoretically, she has to collect all the five remaining stones and study them, but that's too time-consuming. And more importantly, too dangerous. She knows that. There must be another way. I got a bad feeling about this, Pepper."

"Why don't we just ask Sigyn?" she suddenly offered. "Asgardians seem to know a lot more about these stones than we do."

Well, what was the harm? Sigyn certainly knew a lot about the Infinity Stones, and she also knew Fury better than Tony did. He grabbed his phone and told JARVIS to call her. Sigyn answered the call after the first ring.

"Hello, Tony. I hope everything is alright?"

"Yeah, everything is fine. Listen, I need to ask you something. About the Infinity Stones…"

"Yes?"

"Is there a way to study the Infinity Stones without actually getting your hands on them? A quicker way to create the Nexus?"

"A quicker way? Like what?"

He forced himself to think. Well, he had been thinking about it for a while now, but now, he forced himself to think harder. When had Ana figured out what the Nexus was? On the night of Thor's arrival. What had she done after that? She had called Shuri. Shuri had said she and T'Challa were coming to New York. Their plan was to work on the Mind Stone while the Avengers and the Black Panther dealt with the remaining HYDRA forces. But before Shuri and T'Challa had come to the tower, Ana had decided to take a "vacation" in Malibu.

After Tony had made a joke about a non-existent magic book…

"A book… A magic book."

Sigyn remained silent.

"Hey, Atomic Blonde? Are you still there?"

"Why do you ask?" Her voice was now cold and sharp. She knew something, and whatever it was, it couldn't be good.

"I just don't want my daughter to do anything stupid. Please…"

"Alright," she relented. "Years ago, Fury asked me about a grimoire. A book that contains infinite knowledge. It's called the Darkhold. Thankfully, Fury was never able to find it, but there're rumors that the book has recently resurfaced."

"So, there's a grimoire now… Lovely. What's next? Is she going to join a coven or something? I know she's still waiting for her Hogwarts letter, but—"

"Tony, you have to take this seriously."

"Oh, I _am_ taking this seriously."

"That book is evil. It's pure dark magic. If Ana reads it, you'll lose her forever, do you understand? And don't even _think_ of reading it yourself. It was created to corrupt people's minds with infinite knowledge. Drive them mad with a thirst for power. If you're right about this, Fury is about to create himself yet another weapon that will spectacularly backfire. I cannot leave the Allfather's side right now, so it's up to you. You have to stop them."

That actually explained a lot. Why Ana had been distancing herself from them, and acting like she was about to make a terrible sacrifice. Tony had given her the perfect excuse when he had told her to get lost. And all the freedom she needed. He was an idiot.

"Thank you, Sigyn," Pepper said on his behalf, and ended the call, but she, too, seemed equally shaken. " _Dark magic_? Tony, what has Ana got herself into?"

"I don't know, Pepper." His voice was barely audible. Tony wasn't sure how much more he could take. When he had first found out about Thanos, he had thought this couldn't get any worse, but apparently, it could.

There was a pounding on the door. "Tony? Pepper? There's something you guys need to see," Steve said.

"We're coming!" Pepper said, took Tony's hand, and led him to the common living area downstairs. The team had gathered in front of the TV. The news reporter was saying something about an explosion at the new SHIELD HQ, the Inhuman Director being murdered, and Daisy Johnson shooting a general in the head. Apparently, SHIELD had fallen once again.

Rhodey shook his head in disbelief. "What the hell, man? Only a few days ago, these guys were heroes!"

Tony couldn't say he was surprised. He shrugged. "Well, they tried. But you know what they say about insanity. Trying the same thing over and over again, and expecting a different result."

"I agree," Rogers said, much to Tony's surprise. It was a rare thing for Steve Rogers and Tony Stark to be on the same page. "That's why I refused President Ellis when he offered to make me the Director of SHIELD."

Everyone looked at him, taken aback. They had no idea Steve had been offered the position. By the President himself. "What?"

He simply shrugged.

"I hope at least Coulson is okay," Bruce said.

"They should've made him the new Director," Pepper said. "I don't know what this is about, but Phil wouldn't have let something like this happen if he'd been in charge."

"Believe me, Pepper, he _was_ in charge," Maria Hill said. "This guy, Jeffrey Mace, was just meant to be the new face of SHIELD."

Romanoff narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "How much do you know about… this new SHIELD?"

"And more importantly, should we be doing something?" Rogers added.

"No," Hill replied. "Stark is right, SHIELD was a lost cause anyway. Now it's gone for good."

"Whatever," Tony said. To be honest, he couldn't care less about SHIELD right now. "I gotta go."

He and Pepper returned to their apartment.

"Sir," JARVIS said. "Miss Stark has left the Wakandan International Outreach Center ten minutes ago. I thought you might want to know."

"Thanks, JARVIS."

"Tony? What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to suit up, and put an end to this madness."

"Good idea," she said, but she didn't seem relieved.

"Hey, this time I'm _really_ going to bring her home. Seriously, I'll kidnap her if I have to."

She gave him a kiss. "I'm counting on that."

…

Tony had thought Ana was going to Fury's secret base again, but he had been wrong. Instead, she went to the destroyed SHIELD base in Virginia. Tony wanted to see what exactly she was up to, so he kept his distance. Once Ana entered the base, he waited for a few minutes before going in after her.

 _What the hell happened here?_ he wondered. JARVIS detected traces of explosives all over the place. Was it an accident, or an assault? He bet Ana could answer that question.

When he found her, she was so busy furiously looking around for something in the mess that she didn't even hear the mechanical noises Mark 46 made as he moved. Her own armor was almost completely sound absorbent, though. She must have learned that trick from Shuri.

"Are you looking for the Darkhold?" he finally asked softly. No matter what happened, he was never going to break her heart again, ever.

She didn't say anything, but the look on her face was enough to confirm his suspicions.

"Come on, Ana. Did you really think I wouldn't find out?"

Suddenly, there was a faint orange glow under her skin. Extremis. Damn it. In theory, his formula was safe, but then, it had never been tested on emotionally overstimulated subjects.

"Hey, I'm not here to start a fight. I just want to talk." To prove his point, he made his armor open up, and stepped out of it. Ana remained in hers, though.

"I'm glowing again, aren't I?"

"I suppose that's a recurring issue?"

"It only happens when I'm too excited, or upset."

"I'd like to run some tests once we're at the compound. Maybe I can find a fix."

"Or maybe, you just deactivate Extremis again," she said sharply.

"I'd never do that without your permission. I respect the choices you make."

The glowing faded. "Does that mean you also respect my choice to read the Darkhold?"

"I mean, I respect the choices that won't get you killed, or locked up in an asylum."

"How did you find me?"

"I put a tracker on you. At the airport."

"When we hugged… I can't believe I fell for the oldest trick in the book."

He smirked. It was good to know that his daughter didn't always think like a spy around him. He would like to keep it that way. "Looks like you still have a soft spot for your old man."

She only rolled her eyes in response.

He tilted his head, studying the sleek dark red-and-black suit for a moment. "Not bad for your first suit… Does it have a name?"

"Why would I name something that doesn't really exist?"

"Fair enough."

"The Darkhold is not here," she said curtly, then went back to her search. "I'm looking for something else."

"Looking for what, exactly?"

She made no reply until she lifted a large block of concrete, and found a pair of gloves under it. "These," she said. "Laser-Coupling Gloves."

"What are you going to do with them?"

"I need them to activate _that_ ," she said, pointing at a circular contraption that was half-buried in debris.

"And what's that?" he asked this time. She was making him ask a lot of questions tonight, but he decided to be patient and roll with it. He felt like they were getting at something.

"An Inter-Dimensional Gateway."

"To where?"

"To Hell."

"Look, I know you're upset, but—"

"Dad, I'm not upset. 'Hell' is the name of a dimension. That's where I'm supposed to go."

Tony leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. The whole thing was like a Matryoshka doll that made the wormhole in New York look like sunshine and rainbows. Every time he peeled off a layer, he kept getting more. "And what makes you think I'll let you go to a dimension called Hell?"

Ana finally decided to get out of her suit. Then she took something out of her pocket, and gave it to Tony. "Hopefully, this."

It was a hard-drive. "What's this?"

"One final gift, from the time-traveler."

"What?"

"You were right, Dad. I've been keeping secrets from you. But it's time you know the truth. When Fury found the time-traveler, he did something. He brought her back from the dead, just like he did to Coulson."

"H—he did what?" Tony gasped, feeling anger building up in him. This was wrong on so many levels. Fury shouldn't have touched her without Tony's permission. No one should. She might be from another timeline, but she had been here, and that made her his responsibility.

"Don't worry, she was prepared. It was a part of her plan."

He wasn't sure if this was supposed to make him feel any better. But he had to know the whole truth, no matter how crazy it was. "Why was she dead when you found her, then?"

"Fury used some kind of alien medicine to resurrect people. But their memories had to be altered to prevent the side effects. They couldn't do that to the future me. Her memories were far too valuable. Not that it matters anymore. Fury says the medicine was long gone by the time she was blown up."

So, Fury… She had chosen to trust Fury. "What did she tell him?"

"That I had to follow the Darkhold to Hell… Among other things. We didn't know what that meant at first, but we were keeping an eye on SHIELD. It wasn't easy, to observe them from the shadows and not being able to help. You know the drill; we had to let certain things happen. But now, the time-traveler's words make sense. Yesterday, Fury gave me this hard-drive. Before that, I had no idea it existed."

"What's this?"

"A message. For you."

"For me?"

He had always assumed that his future daughter had believed him to be inept, and left him out of her plan. Or worse, she hadn't forgiven him for something he had, or hadn't done in that timeline. But he had been wrong. Apparently, there were things she had wanted to tell him as well. It made him feel more confident and hopeful.

"Did you—"

She shook her head. "It can only be seen once. She made sure of that."

"Alright," he said, looking at the hard-drive. "Let's do this."

Tony connected the hard-drive to his phone. "Are you going to stay here, or…"

"No, I want to see it," she said firmly.

He opened the file, and the future Ana's face popped up on the screen. He had seen her before, of course. He had seen her die, and her frozen dead body in the cryo-chamber. Still, he didn't think he could ever get used to this. To this version of her. He saw so much pain in her eyes that he felt a sudden urge to look away. But he forced himself to focus on her sad smile instead.

"Hey, Dad… If you're watching this, you must have found out about the Darkhold, and you're probably very, very angry with me right now. Don't worry, I got some great news for you. The book is dangerous, and it has to be read, yes, but there's a… solution in Hell waiting for you. I can't tell you what it is, because honestly, I don't know how you'll react. But I want you and Ana to go there. I'm sure you'll find a way to open the gateway. Just trust me, okay?"

She paused, took a deep breath, and wiped away a few stray tears. "I know you're upset that I didn't come directly to you, but if I had to ruin someone's life, it had to be my own. I deserve it. I can't tell you what exactly happened, but I want you to know that it wasn't your fault. It was mine. Someone once said we Starks didn't know the difference between saving the world and destroying it. I hated her for saying that. I hated her so much that I've made sure she'll never become an Avenger in this timeline. It was selfish, maybe, but I couldn't have let her mess with your head again. So, no, this plan of mine wasn't entirely selfless. Anyway, she was right about one thing. I got reckless, meddled with forces I didn't fully understand… I turned my best friend into the Destroyer of Worlds, and she… well, destroyed the world. Quaked it apart. But even then, you didn't give up on me. I love you, Dad, but I don't want you to feel responsible for me. I only came here to prepare you guys for Thanos, and hopefully, my plan will work. You'll find out soon enough. I won't be there to see it, but that's okay. I died once. It wasn't too bad. It was certainly better than living with the guilt. At least I'll die as _your_ daughter. And I'm sorry I programmed this hard-drive for self-destruction, but watching this video over and over again wouldn't be good for your mental health. Goodbye, Dad. I love you."

The message ended, and then the hard-drive indeed destroyed itself. Tony didn't know how to feel about this. Some of the things she had said didn't even make sense to him. As for Ana, she looked like she was finally having a belated mental breakdown.

"Hey, it's okay. Come here." He wanted to hug her, but she didn't let him.

"It was me, Dad! You heard her. I turned Daisy into the Destroyer of Worlds. Everyone died because of me!"

"Ana, Daisy Johnson shot a U.S. general… Whatever happened in that timeline, but she must have forced your hand."

"No! Sigyn said I'd turn her into the Destroyer of Worlds. She warned _her_ to stay away from me, Dad, not the other way around. I'm pretty sure I was the one who forced her. And she didn't shoot anyone. It was an LMD, built by a rogue android."

A rogue android? Damn, Coulson must have seen some crazy shit, too.

"It doesn't matter anymore. This is a different timeline. The loop is broken."

"I can always create another one."

"What? I thought you scrapped your research."

"I did. But you know how close I was. All I needed was a stabilizer. I tried not to think about it much, but sometimes I can't help what my brain does. The idea occurred to me a few days ago, and now I can't stop thinking about it!"

"It's okay. You can tell me."

"Daisy needs to be able to defy gravity to destroy a planet. There's only one element that can both give her such a power, and stabilize a portal through time: Gravitonium."

"Gravitonium is a myth."

"I doubt it. Fury refuses to speak of it, but I know I'm right. I just know it. My theory is, I used most of the gravitonium to turn Daisy into the Destroyer of Worlds, but kept a small amount of it to use as a stabilizer in case something went wrong. Something went wrong, indeed, and I created a time loop while trying to fix it."

Well, it actually made sense. Gravitational waves could be used to bend spacetime. And Sigyn had said Thanos always murdered half of the population when he attacked a planet, not destroyed it entirely. Up until now, Tony had just assumed the Avengers must have pissed him off so much that he had made an exception for the Earth.

"Okay. Even if gravitonium exists, I won't let you go anywhere near it, let alone experiment with it. You'll be fine. Who else knows about this theory?"

"No one."

"Good. Let's keep this between us. Don't even tell Pepper, Rhodey, or Happy. There's no reason for them to worry about it. Not even Shuri."

"Shuri has no idea what I've been up to. She thinks I'm looking for the Infinity Stones."

"Good. As for other people, some might decide to take… more drastic measures. Do you understand what I mean?"

She nodded. "What are we going to do now?"

"I'm going to call a cargo plane here, so that we can take this gateway to the compound. I'm surprised the government has left this behind. It looks like they've confiscated everything else."

"So, is that it? Are you just going to let me travel to Hell?"

"No. We're going there together."

"Are you serious?"

"Why do you look so surprised? The future you said we should do this together."

"I know. But you're terrified of portals."

"You'll protect me."

That earned him a chuckle.

"Just one question, though, what are we supposed to do once we get there?"

"We're going to find this guy," she said, and started playing a video on her phone. "Robbie Reyes. He was the one who took the Darkhold to Hell. As far as I know, he's possessed by something that originates from that dimension. They call him the Ghost Rider."

It was a video of a man with a flaming skull in the middle of a prison riot. The inmates were locking themselves in their cells as the Ghost Rider strode off down the corridor. Well, who could judge them?

"I know he looks scary, but he's one of the good guys," Ana said quickly. "If we talk to him, I'm sure he'll understand."

"So, your plan is basically to _befriend_ this guy?"

"More or less."

"Honey, we need to talk about your choice of friends."

She grimaced. "You've been waiting for years to make this comeback, haven't you?"

"Yep."

She laughed, shaking her head. "Is this some kind of game, or are we really preparing for an inter-dimensional trip right now?"

"No more games. No more lies. But I expect the same from you."

"No more games. No more lies," she repeated firmly. "I'm actually relieved, you know. I thought I'd have to do something much worse. That's why I've been avoiding you."

"Yeah, I figured that much." He put an arm around her shoulders, and tugged her closer. "Everything's going to be alright. We'll go to Hell, find the solution the future you was talking about, build the Nexus, and when Thanos comes, we'll kick his ass."

"Sounds like a good plan."

Tony smiled. Fatherhood was especially challenging if your kid was someone who could accidentally invent time-travel. Still, he wouldn't have it any other way.

…

Like he didn't have enough on his plate, on their way home, Tony received a warning from JARVIS that Peter Parker was in trouble, so he sent Mark 47 to help him. He usually kept that suit at the compound, so that he could control it remotely in case Pepper was in danger, but now, it was the kid who needed his help. He had to save him from being drowned.

Once he was safe, Peter started telling him about a bunch of lowlifes dealing with very dangerous weapons. Still, from the way he described these weapons, Tony suspected they might have been designed based on alien tech, but he decided not to share his suspicions with the kid.

"How did you find me?" he asked at last. "Did you put a tracker in my suit or something?"

"I put everything in your suit. Including this heater," he said, activating the heater.

"Oh, that's better, thank you."

"What were you thinking?"

"The guy with the wings is obviously the source of the weapons, I gotta take him down!"

" _Take him down_ , now, huh? Steady, Crocket, there're people who handle this sort of thing."

"The Avengers?"

"No, no, no… This is a little below their pay grade."

"Anyway, Mr. Stark, you don't have to come all the way here. I had that, I was fine."

Tony doubted that. He let the helmet open up. "Oh, I'm not really here…"

Peter's reaction was actually hilarious.

"Hey, at least he didn't build a satellite to keep an eye on you," Ana, who had been watching him with an amused look on her face, broke in.

"Mr. Stark? Who else is there?" Peter asked, obviously embarrassed to realize that they had an audience.

"Oh, that's Ana, don't mind her… Look, forget about the flying vulture guy."

"Why?"

"Why?" he finally snapped. "Because I said so!"

Ana put a hand on her mouth in order not to laugh.

"Hey, whose side you're on?" he scolded her, then continued, "Stay close to the ground, build up your game, helping the little people, like that lady bought you the churro… Can't you just be a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man?"

"But I'm ready to be more than that now!"

"No, you're not. Listen, if you come across these weapons again, call Happy."

He sighed. Maybe Pepper was right. Maybe he shouldn't have given him a suit. He needed to be reminded that he was still a kid. "You know, it's never too early to start thinking about college. I got some pull at MIT… End call."

He frowned when he saw how Ana had been staring at him. "What?"

"Do I have an adoptive little brother now? What else did I miss?"

"No, he's not your adoptive little brother. I'm just trying to be a mentor here."

"Where did you find this kid?"

"In Queens."

"No, I mean, how?"

"I was looking for potential recruits. I found some videos on YouTube, he wasn't really hard to track down."

"Is he an Inhuman?"

"No, I think it was more like a lab accident. I don't know, he doesn't want to talk much about it."

"You want to help him because he has a secret, am I right?"

"I'm starting to think I might have made a mistake," he admitted.

"What's done is done. So, what are we going to do about these weapons?"

" _We_ are going to do nothing. I'm going to call the FBI, let them handle this. You just focus on our upcoming trip to Hell, okay?"

She sighed thoughtfully, looking at the box that contained the disassembled gateway. "Don't worry, Dad, I couldn't focus on anything else even if I wanted to."

…

Pepper was waiting for them outside by the time they landed. Her relief was beyond words. Naturally, like everybody else, she wanted to know why they had returned on a cargo plane while they both had suits. Tony simply said they had salvaged a few things that might come handy someday from the destroyed SHIELD base.

As for Ana, she was a bit concerned about how the Avengers would react when they saw her, but luckily, they didn't make much fuss. Some of them—Romanoff, for example—even seemed impressed. Only Rogers gave her a lecture on why she needed to have more faith in people, and Rhodey complained about how much she had scared him. After that, Tony gave her a tour around the facility. He showed her the labs, the workshops, the swimming pool and the training grounds. Then they told Pepper, Rhodey, Happy, and Bruce about the real plan. They couldn't tell anyone else. What needed to be done was pretty obvious, but Tony wasn't sure if everyone would agree with him. There was no time for a city hall debate. But he and Ana needed an inner circle of people who were smart enough to bring them back when it was time to return home. Or, if something went wrong while they were in Hell. Besides, Pepper deserved to know the father of her baby was planning to travel to another dimension.

It hadn't been easy to convince them. But in the end, they had to agree that it was the only way. When a genius came from the future with a plan, you did exactly as she said.

In the morning, Tony woke up before everyone else. Still, he found Ana waiting for him in his lab by the time he went there.

"Where's the gateway?" she asked frantically.

He chuckled, and went to activate a hidden panel on the wall. An elevator appeared. "I thought we might need more privacy."

"A secret workshop? You never do anything halfway, indeed," she said as the elevator took them to the secret workshop underground.

"Do you need my help putting the gateway back together?"

"No, that's actually the easy part. Besides, I need to fix these first." She picked up the Laser-Coupling Gloves. They had been crushed under that block of concrete, but they weren't beyond repair.

"Why do you even need them?" he asked, frustrated. He hated having to deal with things that were beyond his comprehension, and these days there was no shortage of them.

She shrugged. "I'm not sure. All I know is the device was built to rescue Coulson and Fitz from the Hell dimension. Agent May ordered everyone to clear the room before AIDA started opening the portal, so Fury's man couldn't see anything."

Of course, Fury had had a spy within SHIELD… "Well, you've always liked portals. I'm sure you'll figure something out."

"I have to."

"Are you good here? Because I'll go back to my usual lab, and work on Mark 50." If they both disappeared for too long, people would start to get suspicious.

"Yeah, if I need anything, I'll let you know."

He returned upstairs, glad that he had already started working on a nano-tech suit. They didn't know much about Hell, so they needed to be prepared for anything. Thankfully, nanites were quite adaptable for any situation.

…

Maybe he should have built another surveillance satellite. Or, maybe, he shouldn't have given Peter a damn suit in the first place. Pepper had been right. That was what he kept reminding himself as he took the suit back after that Ferry incident. This was the right thing to do. The boy would go back to his normal life, and Tony would focus on stopping Thanos. He already had a daughter who was neck-deep in weird shit. He didn't need a mentee who hacked the suit Tony had given him, went behind his back, and almost got a lot of people killed, including himself.

When he returned to the compound, JARVIS said Ana was in the gym, so he decided to see her. He found her hitting the punching bag furiously.

"Hey, Rocky, is everything alright?"

She stopped, and took off the boxing gloves. "Yeah, I was just trying to distract myself, so that maybe I can come up with a new idea to activate the gateway."

"No breakthroughs yet?"

"Nope. It's not like Hell has coordinates. Even if it does, I don't have them… What about you? How is Mark 50 going?"

"Oh, it's going to be awesome," he bragged. "Why don't you come to my lab and take a look?"

"Maybe later… You seem upset. Is the spiderling okay?"

"He will be, when he realizes that I'm actually doing him a favor."

"What sort of favor?"

"I took the suit back."

"Are you sure you're not punishing him for bruising your ego?"

"Bruising my ego?"

She smirked. "A teenager hacked your software and disabled the tracker. Admit it, Dad, you're getting old."

"Haha. Very funny. But no, this has nothing to do with my ego. I just had to teach him a lesson."

"By leaving him vulnerable?"

"He'll be fine. Now he's just a normal kid again. Speaking of, Pepper thinks I should give him a real internship at Stark Industries. What do you say, would you like a new lab assistant?"

"No," she replied firmly.

"Why not? He's an adorable little spiderling, you'll like him. And he can learn a lot from you."

"Is he my responsibility now?"

"No. He just gets too distracted with this superhero stuff when I'm around. He needs someone to remind him that there's more to life than being an Avenger."

"Yeah, because I'm 100% civilian…"

"Can't you just tolerate him, like, once a week?"

"I don't have to _tolerate_ him, Dad. I'm sure he's a good kid."

"What's the problem, then?"

She thought for a moment, then asked, "Do you know when I first heard of the Darkhold? When I was an intern at Momentum Labs."

"I'd told you you didn't need that internship. See what happens when you don't listen to me?"

She shook her head. "You're unbelievable…"

"Thanks," he said, although he was well aware that it wasn't a compliment.

"The thing is, Dad, we're no better than the Bauers at this point. Peter Parker is not a pet, we can't just adopt him. He has an aunt, right? Put yourself in her shoes. Would you like your nephew to hang out with people who are dealing with alien warlords, inter-dimensional portals, or magic books?"

Sometimes, Ana was too sensible for her own good. "I suppose you're right," he admitted.

"But you should probably give him the suit back."

"I'm going to have to think about it… I tell you what, I'm heading down to the archives now."

"The archives? Why?"

"To see if Hell has any coordinates."

…

Of course, there was something that could help them in the archives. His dad had worked on something called Zero Matter—today it was known as the Darkforce—some time after WWII, and kept detailed notes. There was also a footage. Tony just hoped that he wouldn't find a secret message in this one. He was so done with riddles and secret messages.

"Tell Ana to meet me in the underground workshop," he told JARVIS.

Tony had been able to set up the projector and reviewed the footage by himself before Ana came. No hidden messages. The footage itself was quite intriguing, though.

"So, what do you have for me?" Ana asked excitedly when she entered.

He handed her a magazine from 1946. "Meet Whitney Frost, actress-slash-mad scientist."

"That's an odd combination," she mumbled, looking at the picture of said mad scientist on the cover.

"According to my dad's notes, her real name was Agnes Cully. She was a genius, but the University of Oklahoma rejected her application just because she was a woman. So, she became an actress, got a stage name, 'Whitney Frost,' and married a rich guy. Calvin Chadwick. He owned a development laboratory named Isodyne Energy. But Frost was the brain behind the company. Apparently, she caused a lot of trouble."

"Why are you telling me all these?"

"Because Isodyne Energy managed to create an inter-dimensional rift," he said, rewinding the film reel. "Take a look."

Ana watched the footage of the atomic bomb test in a stunned silence.

"They triggered an anomaly while testing an atomic bomb… Fascinating. What about the substance, Zero Matter? Do you think it's from Hell?"

"Who knows? Maybe. Or maybe, it's from an entirely different dimension."

She heaved a troubled sigh.

"What's wrong, kid?"

"Is it weird that I actually root for the villain here?"

"Whitney Frost?"

"I just feel bad for the poor woman. I mean, under those circumstances, she did what she had to do to pursue her true passion. I'd have to do the same things if I'd been born in the wrong decade. Or, if the world was still such a cruel place for women. I really should stop complaining about how tough my life is…"

"No," he said firmly. "I'd never let that happen to you. I'd change the world myself if I had to. And don't feel sorry for Frost. She shot Mrs. Jarvis in the abdomen, causing permanent damage in the fallopian tubes… That's why she couldn't have any kids." He showed her the medical report he had found among his dad's notes.

"What?" Ana cried. "Bitch…"

"Yeah." If Whitney Frost were still around, Tony would kill her himself for doing that to Mrs. Jarvis. He just hoped his daughter wouldn't have to experience the same kind of pain.

"Ana, do you know why I _really_ didn't want you and Pepper keep Extremis' powers?"

"Why?"

"It wasn't only because I was worried about your safety. You can't have kids with this thing in your system, Ana."

She gasped in horror. "Are you saying that Pepper—"

"No, no, no… As long as Extremis is stabilized, Pepper and the baby will be fine. You, on the other hand… The longer you keep these powers, the more permanent they'll become. In a few years, stabilizing Extremis might not be an option for you anymore. Your body is not a machine, honey. You can't just give yourself an upgrade every time you feel like it."

"Dad, it's okay. I'm not interested."

"In kids?"

"It's… more complicated than that. Let's just say I'm not interested in traditional baby making methods."

"Are you saying that you're not interested in boys?"

To be honest, he had noticed her lack of interest a long time ago. He sometimes made jokes about it, but maybe he shouldn't. "It's okay, kid, really. I know I'm a jerk, but I'm not _that_ kind of jerk, at least. Homophobia is not on the list of my—"

"Dad, I'm not into girls either!"

He looked at her, confused. "No?"

"No. At first, I thought it was because of the constant stress, or my trust issues, but no. I guess I was born this way. I dated a few guys at MIT, but it was only because I didn't want people to start asking questions. I don't do that anymore, don't worry… But maybe I should. Sooner or later, they will realize something is wrong with me."

"Someone at your age shouldn't be complaining about 'constant stress,' that's the only thing wrong with you."

"Come on, Dad, you know what I'm talking about. Sometimes I even wonder if this is a punishment for my obsession with being normal. But then, lately, everything feels like a punishment for my obsession with being normal…"

"Honey, you have an IQ above 200. 'Normal,' in your case, would be an insult."

"Maybe I should take a page from Killian's book and hire an actor to be my boyfriend in public."

"WHAT?" He was beginning to realize even without aliens, other dimensions, and time-traveling, she could still come up with ideas that could give him a heart attack.

"Relax, Dad, it won't be a real relationship. There're professionals who do this sort of thing."

"And you've looked into these professionals?"

"Well, yeah…"

"No. I'm not allowing it."

"Why not?"

"Because that's the stupidest idea I've ever heard! I mean, what's next? Are you going to rent a groom and throw a wedding?"

"Excellent idea," she said, but thankfully, he could see that she wasn't serious.

"Just to be clear, if you ever pull a stunt like that, I'm not walking you down the aisle."

"What if I built an android to be the groom? They can be pretty realistic…"

"Hmm. And what if your groom-oid goes rogue, like that AIDA?"

"Then I'll just play it safe and use JARVIS, instead of coding another program from scratch… What do you say, JARVIS? Will you marry me?"

"As always, I would be happy to be of assistance, Miss Stark. Though I am not sure if your father will give us his blessing."

"See? He's the perfect gentleman."

"I'm going to pretend you didn't just propose to JARVIS…"

"Okay, okay… I guess I'll just end up as a crazy bot lady." She chuckled, and returned to the notes.

A few minutes later, she cried, "YES!"

"What?"

"Look at this. Frost, and Jason Wilkes, another scientist working at Isodyne Energy, were both exposed to Zero Matter. Frost absorbed some of it, while Wilkes got trapped between the two dimensions. He was invisible, until your dad sprayed him with a chemical mixture he was originally planning to use to process film reels… I didn't know he was into filmmaking."

"Neither did I." To be honest, he couldn't even imagine his dad as a filmmaker. He could be the most unartistic guy Tony had ever known.

"Anyway, this formula makes invisible wavelengths visible, and more importantly, recordable," she said, and darted off. Ten minutes later, she returned with a spray bottle in her hand.

"Are you sure this is going to work?"

"This gateway has been opened before. More than once. The energy traces are still there, we just can't see them. I tried using all the scanners we have. X-Ray, IR, UV, S-band… But maybe it's time to go back to the basics."

Indeed, his dad's formula soon revealed a complex pattern of lines inside the circular gateway, and Tony realized why they needed the Laser-Coupling Gloves. All Ana had to do was to figure out how to draw the same pattern while wearing them.

She grinned. "Coordinates."


	15. Chapter 15

Nanotech was a game changer, indeed. When Tony held the Arc Reactor of Mark 50 in his hands, he no longer felt like that helpless man in a can who had entered a wormhole carrying a nuke on his back. He was no longer on a frantic tinkering binge. He felt ready. He felt ready to venture into another dimension. He felt ready to take on the alien bastard who wanted to adopt his daughter and kill everyone else he loved. He felt ready for the endgame. And he had done this without reading a magic book that contained infinite knowledge. To be completely honest, the idea of reading the Darkhold excited him. He knew it would show him what he wanted to know the most, which was how to protect his family. It was a dangerous temptation, he knew. But he was still just a man.

"Please tell me you didn't spend the whole night staring at that thing," Pepper mumbled, and wrapped an arm around him.

"No, I managed to get five hours of sleep," he replied, checking the time on the glass panels. It was 06.33 AM. "Not bad under the current circumstances, huh?"

She took the Arc Reactor from his hands, and started examining it. "Will this be enough to protect you over there?"

"I designed Mark 50 to help us survive a trip to space. We can surely survive Hell."

"Well, in your case, 'Hell' and 'space' are not very different from each other."

"From a metaphorical point of view, that's correct."

She gave him the Arc Reactor back. "Just be careful, okay?"

"I will." He put the Reactor on the nightstand, placed a hand on her belly, and kissed her lips. "This is the endgame, Pepper. Once it's over, I'll stop. I promise."

"Maybe you shouldn't stop."

"What?" he asked, taken aback.

"When you destroyed the suits, I didn't know how serious the threat was. Is it really going to end when Thanos dies? Because I'm pretty sure others will hear what happened to him, and…"

"We're going to become a part of something bigger."

"We already have. There's no going back now."

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I started us on this path."

"You didn't start anything, Tony. You were just trying to stop a bunch of terrorists when you built your first suit, and Ana… The poor girl was just trying to find her mother."

"Speaking of… JARVIS, is Ana awake?"

"Miss Stark woke up half an hour ago."

"Time to go," he announced, and dragged himself out of the bed. A part of him wanted to stay here with Pepper forever, and the longer he waited, the harder this would be.

Ana, Rhodey, Happy, and Bruce met them in the underground workshop. Bruce showed him a small, silicone vial, with a clear liquid inside.

"This concentrated formula will keep you fed and hydrated," he explained. "Make sure you take one dose in every 48 hours. I put them into silicone vials instead of glass, so you won't have to worry about any accidents, at least."

"Thanks, buddy."

He gave Tony a dozen of said vials, and another dozen to Ana. Tony put them into a pocket inside his jacket, then attached the Arc Reactor on his chest. Ana followed his example. They were almost ready to start.

She handed Bruce the trans-dimensional beacon. "You guys know what to do."

They all nodded.

"This is crazy," Tony said, and started spraying the gateway with his dad's formula to reveal the energy traces while Ana put on the Laser-Coupling Gloves.

"I know," Ana agreed. "There was a time I thought Stane was the scariest thing in the universe."

"We've come a long way, kid." It was done. He stepped aside to make way for Ana.

"Happy, please start recording," Ana said before starting. "You guys are going to have to repeat the exact same sequence to bring us back."

Happy took out his phone and started recording. JARVIS started playing _Highway to Hell_. Tony assumed it was his way of expressing his disapproval.

She clasped her hands together to activate the gloves, and began opening the portal. She had practiced this on a simulation more than a hundred times, to be able to rely on muscle memory. Even the slightest mistake meant that they would end up in a different place instead of Hell. The faint lines started glowing brightly as she went over them.

"I gotta admit it, man, this is both scary and cool," Rhodey said.

Pepper, too, was watching her in awe. "What is she even doing?"

"I'm not sure. This is Darkhold tech."

"It's ready," Ana announced at last, taking the gloves off. She gave them to Pepper.

Pepper put them aside before pulling Ana into a protective hug. "Be very, very careful over there, do you understand?"

"We will. I promise."

She released Ana, and came to hug Tony this time. But he got down on his knees and kissed her belly first. She was only six weeks pregnant, so there wasn't a baby bump yet, although she had started complaining about her bras getting too tight.

"Be good to Mommy," he whispered. "Try not to make her too sick."

He rose to his feet again, and gave her a tender, but passionate goodbye kiss. _This is the only way to protect them_ , he reminded himself when he saw the fear in her eyes. It wasn't fair to leave her here like this, especially now that she was pregnant, but what other choice did he have?

"Make sure Peter gets his suit back," he instructed Happy. Happy nodded.

Bruce turned the gateway on. The glowing lines began to blend and blur, opening a tear in the very fabric of their reality. The tear was made of pure darkness.

"So, is this what Hell looks like?" Bruce asked.

"No, this is a vortex," Ana replied. "We're just seeing the tunnel that will lead us to Hell. It should totally be safe, though."

Tony tapped on the Arc Reactor twice to activate the nanites. "Still, we can never be too careful. Suit up, kid."

Ana nodded, and activated her own suit. She had chosen to paint it dark red and black, like she had done with her first suit. She liked being subtle. But she had also taken Tony's suggestion and added silver details. As for him, he stuck to his signature bright red-and-gold color scheme.

"Are you ready?" she asked him softly.

"Yeah," he lied. Portals still scared him a bit. Ana must have sensed his fear, because she took him by the arm and led him towards the gateway.

 _Suck it up, Tony_. Ana would never do this if she thought it wasn't safe. He and Rhodey exchanged brief nods. They both knew what it meant. If Tony didn't make it back, he trusted his best friend to keep Pepper and the baby safe. Because no matter how prepared he was, there was always a chance this might be a one-way trip. He took one last glance at Pepper before they stepped into the darkness.

The moment they crossed the threshold, he felt being sucked into the vortex. It was an uncomfortable feeling, to say the least, but thankfully, it only lasted a second. Then, they found themselves standing in the middle of a narrow, bleak, desolate valley, surrounded by tall mountains on both sides. There was a pale blue mist over everything. There seemed to be no sun, stars, or any other source of light. He wasn't sure how they could see their surroundings. When he turned around, he realized the portal had been closed.

"We did it!" Ana exclaimed.

"And now, we're in Hell… Yay."

She released his arm, and her helmet collapsed back into the suit.

"Wait—" Tony started, but she didn't listen.

"It's okay, the air is breathable." She jumped up and down a few times. "The gravity doesn't seem to be any different either."

Tony sent a signal to Earth via the trans-dimensional beacon in his suit. The beacon was the only way to tell the others to open the portal when it was time to return home, so they had to make sure it really worked before venturing any further. Tony was hopeful, though. After all, his daughter had invented this.

Now they were going to wait. If Bruce received the signal, he would send back one to let them know that they were good to go. But if he didn't receive the signal, he would open the portal again so that they could go back and fix the beacon.

He smiled proudly when a red dot in the left down corner of the HUD blinked. "It works," he announced, and let his own helmet melt back into the suit.

"Great!" She then proceeded to bury a tracker in the ground, and just in case, carved an X on the spot, to be able to find this exact place.

Once his head was exposed, the first thing he noticed was the cold. The air was still—too still, in fact—but the cold bit his face. "I thought Hell would be… warmer, you know."

The second thing that sent a shiver down his spine was the silence. It was unnaturally quiet here. But all of a sudden, the unsettling silence was broken by a man screaming in agony in the distance. More screams followed the first one—Tony was now convinced that multiple people were being tortured or killed somewhere nearby—but soon, everything went quiet once again.

"I wonder where this path leads…" she muttered thoughtfully.

"Why?"

"There're people here. They can help us find Reyes."

"Do you think they're a helpful bunch?"

She shrugged.

Tony thought for a moment, wishing JARVIS were here to help them analyze the level of threat. They could cover more ground by flying around, but as Ana said, there were people here. If they wanted to learn more about this place, maybe they should stay close to the ground for now. "Alright."

The third thing that didn't feel right was the smell. It smelled like hydrogen sulfide here, though Tony was pretty sure that whatever it was, it wasn't hydrogen sulfide. Some said Hell would smell like rotten eggs. They had that part right, at least. And it became only worse as they walked down the path. After nearly half an hour of walk, it finally led them into a clearing, populated with at least a hundred human-like creatures, but Tony was 100% sure that none of them were human. Some were fighting each other, others were simply ignoring the violence around them and walking around idly, and mumbling to themselves. The whole place looked like an open-air asylum. Although it was obvious that they were tourists here, at first, no one paid the Starks any attention.

"Maybe we can ask around?" Ana suggested.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" he asked, but then remembered that Ana's plan was basically to reason with a guy who was possessed by a demon. Of course she thought asking around was a good idea.

"Some of them look harmless enough… That guy, for example." She pointed at a man whose entire body had been scorched black. All he wore was a piece of dirty rag that barely covered anything. He was still smoking, and he smelled of burnt flesh.

The scorched man was sitting on a rock, staring at Tony and Ana with glowing red eyes. But to be honest, he was indeed the most harmless-looking guy he could see her.

"Fine," he relented.

"No, Dad. Let me do it."

"Why? I thought you were an introvert."

"Of the two of us, who is better at pissing people off?"

"Me," he had to admit.

"See? Let me handle this."

He relented, but decided to stay close to her, just in case.

"Uhm, excuse me, sir," Ana started.

"Yes?" the scorched man asked, and his deep, creepy voice sent a chill down to Tony's spine.

"We were looking for someone. Can you help us?"

"Who?"

"His name is Robbie Reyes."

"I don't know who that is."

"What about… the Ghost Rider, then?"

The man threw his head back, and he let out a sharp howl, as if he was in pain.

"Please?" Ana insisted.

He stopped howling at last, and looked at Ana again. "The Ghost Rider… Stay away from him. He'll burn you!"

"H—he won't hurt us. He's actually a friend."

Upon hearing that, he jumped to his feet and charged at Ana. Luckily, she blasted him to oblivion with her repulsor before Tony could intervene. Now everyone was staring at them, and he couldn't tell if they were angry, scared, or simply curious.

"You know what, staying close to the ground was a bad idea," she admitted.

"I agree." They donned their helmets, and took off.

…

Since there was no concept of day or night here, they had to rely on their tech to track time. It had been three days, and they still hadn't been able to find Robbie Reyes.

"Shall we call it a day?" Tony asked when they spotted a lake. Ana agreed, so they landed near the lake.

The water was dark, but bloated corpses floating beneath the surface could be seen easily. Still, it wasn't even the creepiest sight they had seen in the past three days.

"Be careful," he told Ana. "I bet there's a kraken or something in the water."

"Probably."

He stroked Ana's hair. "I'll take the first watch. You get some rest."

He wasn't sure why, but this place was starting to take a toll on both of them. It wasn't just because of the smell, or the lack of sound or sunlight. It was as if this whole realm itself was trying to drive people crazy. Perhaps that was why it was called Hell. There were very few things he could do in this place to comfort Ana. Simple things. Like making sure she would get some sleep.

"I'm not tired." She sat down on the ground, cross-legged and leaning back against a rock. He went to sit down next to her.

"Hey," he said softly. "What's wrong?"

"I've lost you, Dad."

"What? Honey, I'm right here."

"You are. But I lied to you. I hurt you. I broke your trust. There's no undoing something like that."

"Ana, I'm literally following you to the depths of Hell right now. Do you think I'd be here if I didn't trust you?"

"You're here to make sure I won't get myself killed. Not because you trust me. We used to share a bond, but it's just not the same anymore."

"You're right. It's not the same. It's even stronger now. I'm here to watch your back, true, but I know you watch mine."

"Of course I do. You're all I have."

Tony already knew how much he needed her. But perhaps for the first time, he realized how much she needed him. How much he must have scared her every time he risked his life. In the past, it had felt natural. After all, children were supposed to bury their parents, not the other way around. Then they would move on. Now he was beginning to realize Ana might never be able to move on if she lost him.

"Ana, I promise you that you will never lose me. _Never_ , do you understand?"

He wasn't sure if he could keep that promise, but the look of gratitude on Ana's face made it clear that he had to find a way. "I'm sorry, Dad. I really should stop doubting you."

"It's just this damn place. I can't quite put my finger on it, but there's some sort of mind game going on here."

"I know. But I still think we're here for a reason."

" _You're looking for Robbie Reyes…"_ a female voice interrupted them.

Startled, Tony jumped on his feet and turned around. A woman in long, dark robes was standing behind him. She had long, curly blonde hair, but Tony couldn't see her face, because she was wearing a golden mask.

"Who the hell are you?"

"An old friend," she replied, but she was a fool if she thought Tony would believe her so easily. Especially after that scorched man with red eyes.

"Well, that's funny, because I don't remember ever meeting you before."

"I knew your father."

Another alien Howard Stark groupie? _Please, no…_ "Well, I'm not my father," he said curtly. "Go fangirl somewhere else."

"I can help you find Mr. Reyes."

"Thanks, but we're good."

"You," the masked woman said, looking at Ana. "He named you after the two most beloved women in his life. How precious you must be to him…"

"Alright, that's enough! Piss off."

"No. I've waited for far too long for an opportunity like this." She spread her arms, turned her palms up, and she unleashed something dark, dense, but also intangible from them. In the meantime, the same substance was spreading out on the ground around her as well. Zero Matter. Okay, it was now certain that whoever she was, she was definitely not an old friend.

He didn't have to tell Ana that it was time to suit up. They both knew what Zero Matter could do.

"What are we doing now?" she asked him.

"Keep your distance. And stay off the ground."

He hit the woman with a repulsor blast. She didn't seem affected, but her mask had fallen, and now they could see her face.

Ana gasped. "Is that…"

"Whitney Frost? Yeah."

"MY NAME IS AGNES!"

"How?" Tony asked. "I thought my dad took Zero Matter out of your system…"

"True," she said with a wicked grin. "But someone else gave it back to me."

"Who?"

"The Lord of Hell."

"The Lor—Ah, whatever… This is for Mrs. Jarvis!" He launched an anti-tank missile to blow that bitch to kingdom come. But when the smoke cleared, Frost was still standing there, unharmed.

"Ana, no matter what you do, don't let Zero Matter touch you!" He didn't know if it could penetrate the suits, but he hoped they would never have to find out.

"Yeah, I figured that much."

Whitney Frost seemed to be unkillable. Tony had hit her with every missile and repulsor he had. Ana had tried to cut her in half with the laser beams, and even used the nitrogen blasters to freeze her. It had only stopped her for a few seconds. They had launched their proton cannons, but even they were useless on Frost. All they could do was to dodge her attacks.

Weapons weren't working, that much was clear. They had to find a new angle. He wondered how far her powers could reach. There had to be a limit to the amount of Zero Matter she had in her body, and if they could make her spread it too thin, it might leave her vulnerable. So, he began flying around her in circles, gradually widening the range so that she wouldn't notice.

"Ana," he whispered. They might not have a satellite connection, but they still had a communication line that allowed them to talk in private. "I got an idea."

"Okay. What do you—DAD!"

His heart was almost going to stop when she called out for him in agony like that. He turned his head, only to find her impaled by a tentacle of Zero Matter. Frost used this tentacle to drag her down to the ground. Not knowing what else to do, he launched another missile. He knew it wouldn't kill Frost, but it had been enough to make her release Ana.

He swooped down next to her, looked around to see what Frost was doing, but she was nowhere to be seen. There was no time to lose. He tapped on her Arc Reactor twice, and waited until the armor faded so that he could examine her wounds.

 _I'm an idiot_. He had been so desperate for vengeance when he had seen the woman who had ruined Mr. and Mrs. Jarvis' lives that he had forgotten how little combat experience Ana had in the suit. He had dragged her into a fight she wasn't ready for.

"Dad, make it stop, please!"

"I will. Just let me take a look first."

There were no wounds to be seen, but she had been infected with Zero Matter, that much was obvious. If only he knew what it was doing to her. Her whole body was shivering uncontrollably, as if she was freezing to death. She screamed again.

"Ana? Talk to me, honey. What's wrong?"

"Cold… It's too cold."

"Okay…" He tried to think. "Can't you use Extremis to warm yourself up? Just try to focus—"

She shook her head.

"I'll find another way, then. You just stay with me."

"There's nothing you can do," Whitney Frost had appeared out of nowhere. Instinctively, he pulled Ana closer.

She laughed. "Don't worry, I'm not going to kill you. That would be mercy. No, you'll watch her die in your arms. The small amount of Zero Matter will consume her from the inside, until she becomes nothing but a desiccated shell. It's going to be a slow death. I'm simply here to enjoy the show."

"Don't listen to her. Just focus on me," he whispered to Ana.

"I'm sorry, Dad. I never thought it could end like this."

"It's not going to end like this," he said, but the truth was, even he wasn't so sure. He had never seen anything like this before. He wished he could take her pain into himself.

And maybe he could. Literally.

He used the nanites to form a scalpel. He was no surgeon, but if he opened a small cut in her midriff, where she had been hit, he might be able to draw Zero Matter out of her. It would probably infect him this time, but it couldn't be more painful than watching her die.

"Dad?" she asked warily. "What are you doing?"

He looked at Frost, she was still there. He didn't want to explain his plan while she was watching. But she didn't seem concerned at all. "Go ahead," she shrugged. "You're free to do whatever you want."

Like Hell itself, Frost was playing some kind of sick mind game. Tony decided to ignore her.

"Dad!" Ana repeated.

"I'm just going to open a small cut, okay? It's not going to hurt." It would probably hurt, but she was already in too much pain.

"No!" She must have realized what he was trying to do, because she was trying to get away from him now.

"Ana, stop…" he begged, trying to pull her back.

"I can't! I can't let you do it!"

"Fine," he relented. He couldn't open a clean cut while Ana kept struggling like this, and Frost probably wouldn't let him unless she was sure it would be useless. "Fine, I won't. Just stop fighting." She stilled, Tony let the scalpel disappear and deactivated his own suit so that he could use his own body heat to warm her up, and wouldn't accidentally hurt her. He didn't think Frost would attack him again any time soon. She was indeed enjoying this.

In the past, he would think being incapacitated or tied up in front of his kid was the most humiliating thing a father could experience. That was what Stane and Killian had done to him. But Frost knew better. Right now, he was free, yet he couldn't do anything to save her. This was far worse than being incapacitated. Why, for once, couldn't the bad guys just kill him and be done with it?

He took off his jacket, and wrapped it around her. It wasn't going to be enough, he knew, but what else could he do? "There. This is better, right?" he asked, then turned to Frost. "What do you want?"

"What?" she scoffed.

"I named her after the two most beloved women in my life, you said it yourself. You know how precious she is to me. You know I'll do anything to save her. Just name it."

"Dad, don't…" Ana whimpered, but he ignored her. He didn't know how Zero Matter worked, and he didn't have time to figure it out. This was the only way. Everybody wanted something. He just had to find out what Frost wanted.

Frost grinned. "Would you beg me for her life?"

"I _am_ begging you for her life. Please."

"But _this_ is what I want. Your desperation. Howard Stark and his friends took everything from me. I want him to pay!"

"I told you, I'm not my father!"

"No. But you're his greatest creation."

Tony gulped. She knew too much about them. How? How could she know about the "greatest creation" thing?

"I never thought I'd see you here," she went on. "But now…"

"Take me, then. Torture me, kill me, I don't care. Just let her go home."

Only a few minutes ago, he had promised that he would never leave her, but what else could he do? If he had to choose, he chose to save her.

"No."

 _Shit_. Frost wasn't going to change her mind. Ana was dying in his arms, he needed to focus on her.

"Don't do anything stupid when I'm gone, okay?"

Now he had to close his eyes and take a deep breath to steady himself. He didn't want her to see his tears. By the time he opened his eyes, he was able to muster a smile.

"You're not going anywhere." He shifted her to a more comfortable position, and held her even closer, as if that could make her stay with him.

"Dad…"

"Alright, I won't do anything stupid," he lied. He knew he still had to think of Pepper and the baby, but even if he miraculously survived this pain, he would become a different man, and he didn't think Pepper would want to be in a relationship with such a man, let alone raise a child with him. No woman would. But Ana didn't have to know that.

And even if he remained the same, what made him think he deserved to raise another kid? Being one of the richest, smartest, and most powerful men in the world, he used to think he could give his daughter a good life. Instead, she had been bullied, terrorized, threatened, even mutilated. Her mind had been enslaved. Tony had lost count of how many people had tried to kill her. And one was finally succeeding. He had failed miserably. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you."

To make things worse, she started coughing blood.

 _Shit. Shit, shit, shit…_ Coughing blood was never a good sign. He pursed his lips, but a pathetic, whimpering sound escaped nevertheless. He could no longer keep the tears at bay.

She lifted a hand to touch his face. "It's okay, Dad. I'm not scared."

"Well, _I_ am." Maybe he shouldn't have said that, but he could no longer hide it. When he had found Ana, he was still a kid himself. An orphan. After the accident—no, it was a murder, not an accident—despite the fortune and the legacy he had inherited, he had thought all was lost. That no one else could love him the way his mom had, but he had been wrong. Ana loved him unconditionally, since she was old enough to love anything. This little angel had become his whole world. Over the years, his world had grown bigger, but she was still its core. And if he lost her, the rest would collapse as well. He took her trembling hand, and pressed it against his lips. She was being taken from him, and he didn't know what to do. He wasn't _scared_. He was terrified.

All of a sudden, they heard the roar of an engine in the distance. He frowned.

"Dad?" Ana must have heard it as well.

At last, Tony saw something that resembled fear on Frost's face. A black car that was on fire—Tony didn't think it had been manufactured on Earth—stopped in front of them, and the Ghost Rider climbed out of it. When he swung the burning chain in his hand at Frost, she quickly disappeared into thin air in a cloud of black smoke. The Ghost Rider threw his head back and howled in rage.

Tony didn't know if he was here to kill them as well. But he had to try. "Robbie Reyes?"

He looked at them with his non-existent eyes. Normally, it would creep the shit out of Tony—or anyone, really—but at this point, Tony was beyond fear.

"Please… My daughter is dying. Can you help her?"

He made no reply.

"Please," Tony repeated as he watched Reyes return to his human form.

With a swift move, Reyes wrapped the chain around his torso. "I can't help her. But he can."

Someone emerged from the passenger seat. Like Whitney Frost, he, too, was wearing a long, black robe, but a hood was covering his face. Who was this one now, the Grim Reaper?

But when he lowered the hood, Tony's first reaction was to squeeze his eyes shut, and shake his head a few times. Unfortunately, he was still there when Tony looked again.

"Hello, Tony."

 _No. No, this is not possible._

"Honey," he said warily. "I don't want to scare you, but I'm seeing… things. Maybe there's something hallucinogenic in the air, or…"

Or, maybe the fear of losing Ana had been too much for him, and he was losing whatever sanity he had left.

"No, Dad… I see him, too."

"Y—you do?"

Despite the pain, she smiled. "I told you we were here for a reason."

She had. And Tony had believed her. Otherwise, he would never have agreed to this madness in the first place.

He just hadn't thought "the reason" could be his father.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: There was a glitch on FFnet when I posted last week's chapter and the story never made it to the first page. So, if you're not subscribed, you might have missed that chapter. Please go back and read it first before you continue, because this one starts with a huge spoiler.**

* * *

Tony's heart was beating faster with every step his dad took towards them. Tony half expected him to disappear at any moment, but he didn't. He crouched beside them, and smiled at Ana.

"Do I frighten you, child?"

"No."

"Good," he said, and took her arm while Tony watched him absolute silence. He wanted to say something. He wanted to ask him what he was going to do. He managed to open his mouth, but no words came out. His brain had short-circuited.

Ana gasped in protest. "No, you can't—"

"It's alright. Zero Matter can't harm me." The gentleness in his tone made Tony wonder if this was really his dad. He had never seen him show so much affection to anyone or anything before.

He closed his eyes, and the lines on his forehead deepened, as if he was concentrating. At first, Ana winced in pain, and her back arched, but then, she sank back into Tony's arms. Only then, he regained the ability to speak.

"What just happened?"

"It's done," he announced. When he opened his eyes, Tony realized that they had turned into two black holes, but thankfully, they quickly returned to their normal color. Aliens and demons he could handle, but seeing his dad like that had been a bit too much. What had happened to him? He looked exactly as Tony remembered him. He hadn't aged a day. And apparently, he could somehow manipulate Zero Matter. Tony had a thousand questions right now, but they were going to have to wait until he made sure Ana was okay.

"Baby girl?"

"I'm okay… Just tired." Indeed, she could barely keep her eyes open, but at least she wasn't shivering anymore. There was a very faint glow beneath her skin, but that was a good sign. Extremis was repairing the damage. He pressed her head against his chest, and put a kiss on the top of her head.

"Okay," he repeated. "You're okay, you're okay…"

He had been so scared that he didn't know how he would ever let her out of his sight again. If it hadn't been for his dad, she would be gone by now. The mere thought made him shudder.

There was nothing he could do, or say to make the situation any less insane, so he decided to just roll with it. "Thanks, Dad…"

He looked at Tony, and under his gaze, Tony suddenly felt terribly self-conscious. He wished his dad hadn't found him as this whimpering, sobbing mess. But what else was he supposed to be while his kid was dying in his arms? And he must have seen the Arc Reactor on Tony's chest… What was he going to think about the Iron Man suit? Was he going to like it, or call it a piece of junk?

"She needs to eat," he told Tony. "And rest."

"Right." He quickly took a vial from his jacket, and helped Ana drink it.

"What are you two even doing here?" Robbie Reyes, who had been observing them quietly, asked.

"The Darkhold," his dad said. "They're here for the Darkhold."

Tony frowned in confusion. "How do you…"

"Howard," Reyes said. He didn't seem pleased. "If they're here for the book…"

"It's not what you think it is, Robbie. There's too much at stake here. I saw it in Ana's thoughts when I absorbed Zero Matter from her. Yes, Tony, Zero Matter enables one to see people's thoughts, to a certain degree. Especially the unpleasant ones."

"How much did you see?" Reyes asked.

"Enough to not blame them for coming here."

They exchanged a couple of sentences in Spanish. Tony knew his dad was fluent in many languages, and Spanish was one of them. He tried to follow the conversation, but all he could say was they were talking about... an army? And someone... ancient? Well, linguistics had never been Tony's strong suit. And Ana was even worse. She always complained language practice required too much human interaction.

"Let's go," Reyes finally told Tony in English. "You guys are not safe here."

Not knowing what else to do, Tony scooped Ana into his arms and followed them into the car.

…

Tony didn't know where they were going. Reyes was driving, but he didn't speak much. His dad was sitting beside Reyes in the passenger seat, and he, too, was quiet. Ana was asleep on Tony's chest. She seemed so peaceful that Tony couldn't believe how much she still trusted him. He had failed her too many times. His dad has said it was going to take a while until she regained her strength, for Zero Matter was a substance that consumed all forms of energy. As for Tony, he was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that his dad was here. For now, the relief was so great that the internal screaming hadn't started yet. He didn't even know why he was feeling so anxious. Wasn't this what he had always dreamt of? A second chance with his dad? Wasn't this much better than BARF? But then, reuniting with your dead father wasn't easy, even if you had a 100% healthy relationship with him. And Tony definitely didn't have a 100% healthy relationship with his father.

After about an hour of driving, they stopped in front of a cave entrance, which led to a tunnel into the mountains. His dad said it was their hideout. Tony didn't ask what exactly they were hiding from. Here, there was a bald woman who was obviously expecting them, and she told Tony to put Ana on a makeshift bed. Ana stirred as he put her down on the bed, but didn't wake up.

"Who are you?" Tony asked the woman afterward.

"I've had many names, but you can call me the Ancient One."

"She's a sorcerer," Reyes explained. "Howard introduced me to her, and she taught me a few tricks."

The Ancient One smiled. "We've barely scratched the surface."

"We need to talk," his dad told Reyes and the Ancient One, but stopped Tony when he attempted to go with them. "Stay with your daughter."

His voice left no room for discussion.

After they left, Tony started pacing up and down frantically. So, the great Howard Stark was hanging out with demons and sorcerers these days… Tony wasn't sure why he was so surprised. After all, his secret BFF was an Asgardian. Was it why he was such an ambitious scientist, Tony wondered. Because he knew that humans weren't alone in the universe? Tony had always enjoyed learning, tinkering, inventing, true. But he had never been as ambitious as his dad, not until the Battle of New York. Had he shared the same fears? Was that why he had studied an Infinity Stone? He decided to add these to his long list of questions.

"Dad?"

Ana was trying to sit up in the bed. He went to help her. "Easy, easy…"

"Where are we?" she asked, looking around the mostly empty room. It reminded Tony of the room he had shared with Yinsen, but he decided to keep that thought to himself.

"A cave. Dad said it was their hideout. There was a sorcerer waiting for us here. She calls herself 'the Ancient One.' They're having a meeting now. I don't know what's really going on here, kid. I don't know if this place is some kind of afterlife, or…"

"I'm sorry. I swear I had no idea your dad was here. Otherwise I would've given you a heads-up."

He gently brushed a lock of hair out of her face. "I know. Even you're not that cruel."

She scrunched up her nose.

"Just kidding. Hey, I'm actually doing pretty well for a guy who's having the craziest day of his life… How are _you_ feeling?"

"Much better."

"Good. But Dad says you still need plenty of rest."

"I'm fine."

"You don't want to test his patience, trust me."

She smiled. "Come on, he's not that bad…"

"Of course you say that. He likes you. Now you can be cold and calculating together all you want, rule the galaxy as grandfather and granddaughter, stuff like that… I'm sure you'll have a blast."

She giggled. "You're jealous…"

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are. The only question is, are you jealous because he likes me, or because I like him?"

"Both," he admitted at last. He wasn't used to sharing her with another Stark. But to be honest, what really scared him was the amount of scheming that would be going on around him from now on.

"Go easy on him, Dad. He loves you so much."

"Well, you always wished you could hear his side of the story. Now you can."

"I don't have to. He might have seen my thoughts, but I've seen his, too."

Tony froze. "What did you see?"

"Not much. I don't know how to describe the experience. When he touched me, there was… a blur. I guess he was much better at deciphering it, that's how he figured out why we were here. As for me, I was only able to feel longing. And pride. He misses you. And he's proud of what you've become."

Tony felt a warm feeling spread through his body. His dad loved him. And he was proud of him. That was all he had ever wanted. "Thanks, kid. Now, time to sleep…"

"This is embarrassing," she complained when he made her lie back down, but obeyed him nevertheless.

"Dad…"

It was the tone she used when she was about to ask for something. He didn't have to be a genius to guess what she wanted right now. "I know. We can't leave him here."

Soon, she was asleep again. And when his dad returned, Reyes and the Ancient One weren't with him. Once he was alone with his dad, the internal screaming started.

"Come here," he told Tony, and pulled him into a tight hug. Suddenly, Tony was a little boy once again.

His body was unnaturally cold, probably due to Zero Matter. It didn't seem to bother him, though. It didn't bother Tony either. Now that his dad was here, he felt like everything was going to be okay. "I missed you, Dad."

"I missed you, too, son." He gave Tony's shoulders a squeeze before releasing him and kneeling down beside Ana. "She looks like Maria," he whispered.

"I know," he replied, glad that his dad had noticed.

He lifted his hand, as if he wanted to stroke her hair, but after a short pause, withdrew it and rose to his feet again.

"Is Mom here, too?" For Tony, this one was more important than any other question.

He looked at him, taken aback. "What? No. Thank God, no."

Tony had hoped she would be here. It was a selfish hope, maybe, but he had missed her, too. But then, Maria Stark was an angel. Unlike her husband and son.

"How did you end up here?"

"The Lord of Hell, Mephisto, sometimes chooses to resurrect those with remarkable achievements. That's how most people end up here. Robbie is an exception. Whitney Frost's work with the Darkforce impressed Mephisto, for example, and the Ancient One was the Sorcerer Supreme in her previous life… What? Did you think I was here for my sins?" There was a bitter amusement in the question.

"How does this Mephisto guy resurrect people? Does he use Zero Matter?"

"No. That much I know. But if I knew how his powers worked, _I_ would be the Lord of Hell."

Tony tried to imagine his dad as the Lord of Hell. He couldn't.

"Zero Matter was something he acquired from another dimension," he went on. "It was meant as a gift for Frost, for her services."

"Services?"

"As a torturer. When I first came here, I came here as a prisoner, like everyone else. Frost was my torturer. She would use Zero Matter to torture me. In time, I figured out how to control it. I stole a small amount of Zero Matter from Frost every time she paid me a visit, and she didn't notice it. It took me years, but when I finally became powerful enough, I escaped the dungeons of Hell."

Tony felt his heart sank. All those years, while Tony was enjoying himself, his dad was being tortured in some dungeon. He was cold, calculating, and even ruthless at times, yes, but he hadn't deserved to go through something like that. He wished he could give him the love he deserved right now. He wished he could be more like Ana. She would keep that ice queen act around strangers, but when she was with Tony, she was always her kind, caring, affectionate self. With a simple hug or smile, she could make her dad forget every horrible thing he had been through. He wished he could do the same for his dad, but he didn't know how to do it. The best he could do was not to be a jerk.

"What did he want from you?"

"The same thing he wants from everyone he brings here. Compliance."

"How can we kill him?"

"Mephisto?" he scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous."

"What about Frost?"

"Nothing remains dead in this place, Tony. Don't bother."

"Do you know which one of _your_ remarkable achievements brought you here?" He had no shortage of them.

In response, he simply stared at the Arc Reactor on Tony's chest.

"The element," Tony said. "You created something that could resist the power of an Infinity Stone. That certainly qualifies as a remarkable achievement."

"Enough of me. Tell me how you've become Iron Man."

"I thought you knew…"

"Yes, but I want to hear it from you."

And Tony told him. His dad already knew about Iron Man, the Avengers and the fall of SHIELD, thanks to Reyes and the Ancient One. Tony filled him in about everything else in between. He listened quietly with an inscrutable expression on his face. He only smiled when he found out how Sigyn had left Ana on Tony's doorstep, and that Pepper was pregnant. Who knew Howard Stark was so eager to be a grandfather?

Tony then asked, "So, can you convince Reyes to let us read the Darkhold?"

"You will not read the Darkhold," he said sternly, again with that voice that left no room for discussion.

But Tony couldn't give up. "Dad, don't you see what's—"

"You will not read the Darkhold, because _I_ will."

Tony froze. Okay, he definitely hadn't seen this coming. "Dad," he said softly. "I can't ask you to do it. Not after everything you've been through."

"That book is meant to corrupt the human mind, Tony. I'm not human anymore. Such mind games won't work on me."

Suddenly, it all made sense. _This_ was the solution. Howard Stark was supposed to read the Darkhold all along. Ana had found a way to give Tony an impossible gift. The two things he had wanted the most. A second chance with his dad. And a way to stop his greatest enemy. Two birds with one stone.

"The Darkhold cannot be read here. I hope you have a way out, because no portals can be opened from this side."

"Why not?"

"Tony, this place is called Hell for a reason," he replied, exasperated.

"Right. Don't worry, we have a way out."

"Good."

"How did you feel?" Tony asked all of a sudden. "When you first found out about aliens?"

"I felt what any scientist would feel. Curiosity. A desire to explore the unknown."

 _Maybe I'm just a coward,_ he thought to himself. He, too, had a desire to know more about aliens, true, but curiosity could be the least of his motives.

"Of course, I didn't have a family to think of back then," he added, as if he could read Tony's mind.

"I don't know how to protect them," he confessed. "Help me, Dad."

"Right, because I did such a great job at protecting your mother…" His voice was full of self-hatred, which made Tony realize how much pain, grief, and regret he had been bearing.

"It was Sigyn's fault. She should've kept her mouth shut."

"I already knew something was wrong with SHIELD. Sigyn just confirmed my suspicions. Don't be so ungrateful to her. She's a good friend. It was my obsession with Steve that got us killed. I dedicated my entire life to the recreation of the super soldier serum, as if it could undo every mistake I'd made. Every weapon I invented. It didn't even occur to me that there could be a simpler way to redeem myself. Shutting down the weapons manufacturing division. You're much braver than I could ever be. You'd be a better friend to Steve. But I guess I took that from you as well."

Okay, Tony certainly didn't expect such a sudden and honest confession. He was speechless.

"And now, look what I've become," he went on. "A monster."

"You're not a monster. You're still… you."

"You have no idea what I had to do to survive in this world, Tony."

"Well, if it's any consolation, Cap isn't perfect either. He knew the truth about your death. He lied to me."

"I'm glad you didn't overreact."

"The truth is, I wanted to overreact. But I had responsibilities."

He smiled. "You were never as irresponsible as you pretended to be. You just needed a kid to see that."

"Yeah, becoming a father changes you," he said evasively. They weren't exactly a family his dad would approve. He barely remembered Ana's mother, for example. He and Pepper weren't married, and they were expecting another kid now. _After Thanos_ , he reminded himself. He had decided to propose to her after they survived Thanos.

"You think so? Try being a grandfather," he said, with a fond smile on his lips. He was looking at Ana again. Tony wondered why he had warmed up to her so quickly. He had always assumed his dad would skin him alive if he knew he had a kid born out of wedlock. For a futurist, Howard Stark could be quite old-fashioned. But he seemed really happy to finally meet Ana. Maybe it was because he had always wanted to be a grandfather. Maybe, he had been inside Ana's head and seen what a brilliant kid she was. Or maybe, Ana's superpower was her ability to melt the hearts of the Stark men.

"You know, Ana has always admired you. Just try not to break her heart, okay? She's not like me. She's good."

"What?" he asked, clearly offended. "What do you think I'm going to do to her?"

"Don't ask her anything about her mother. It's a sour point for her. Or, better, just pretend like she's Pepper's kid."

"It's okay," Ana mumbled huskily, her eyes still closed. "Technically, I'm a bastard. But if it bothers you, I'll change my last name to Snow."

His dad frowned. "What?"

Tony snorted. "I guess you guys don't have HBO in Hell."

"Whatever. Don't change your last name. And don't call yourself a bastard. You're my granddaughter, for God's sake…" He went to her, and checked her pulse. Then he examined her face for a moment.

"How long have you been awake?" Tony asked.

"Long enough to hear who's going to read the Darkhold."

His dad nodded. "I'll leave you detailed instructions to build the Nexus."

"What?" Tony snapped. "Are you going to return to this damned place?"

"There're other dimensions where I can hide from Mephisto."

Tony and Ana exchanged a significant glance. Then she sat up in the bed, and said, "Or, you can just stay with us. Surely we can handle this Mephisto, right?"

"It's not him I'm worried about, Ana. He doesn't have so much power in other dimensions. But if people find out I didn't stay dead—"

"Let them!" Ana held his hands. "We're not leaving you. Come with us, and finish what you started. Build the Nexus yourself."

"There will be consequences."

"Then we'll face them together."

He thought for a moment. "Alright," he then gave in.

"Thanks, Grandpa," she said, and gave him a big hug. For some reason, he was hesitant for a moment, as if he could hurt her, but then allowed himself to hug her back. Tony might not be used to sharing her with another Stark, but at least he knew his dad was in good hands.

…

Tony wasn't sure how, but his dad had convinced Reyes to come to the Earth with them and let him read the Darkhold. Reyes' intention was to return to Hell once it was done, but when he learned that Coulson's team was missing—according to Ana, even Fury didn't know where they were, which was quite disturbing—he changed his mind and decided to look for them.

"So, the Ancient One taught you how to open portals… But if no one can open a portal in Hell, how were you able to come back to fight AIDA?" Ana asked him as they drove to the valley, where the portal would be opened.

"AIDA stole dark matter from Hell when she created herself a human body. It opened a tear between the two dimensions. That's how I escaped."

"You know, this might be your only chance of escape," Tony reminded the Ancient One. He had a feeling that she was the one who helped his dad persuade Reyes. "Are you sure you don't want to come with us?"

"I already lived one unnaturally long life on Earth. This is where I belong now."

He shrugged. "Well, if you say so… But we could really use a wizard against Thanos, you know."

"I'm sure my successor will be more than happy to help."

"Your successor?"

"You must find Doctor Stephen Strange in the New York Sanctum."

"Where's this New York Sanctum?" Tony was confused. He had spent many years in New York, and never seen anything that would qualify as a "sanctum."

"I know where it is," his dad broke in.

"Of course you do," Tony muttered to himself.

Soon, the road led them into a clearing. Tony recognized it immediately. It was the same one they had come across on their first day here. Only, this time the creatures scattered in panic when they saw Reyes' car. Reyes simply ignored them.

"You guys picked quite a place for the portal," he complained as the car climbed up the steep, winding path.

"We didn't exactly 'pick' it. By the way, how did you know where we were?"

"The Ghost Rider sensed your pain," he simply said.

Tony moved uncomfortably. He didn't want to think much about that fight with Frost. He just assumed he must have been pretty easy to locate during her torture session if the Ghost Rider could sense people's pain.

"So, what powers the car?" Ana asked, probably to change the subject. "There're no gas stations here…"

"Dark matter," his dad replied. "The same stuff the book is made of."

"And AIDA used to create herself a body," Reyes added. "Sometimes I miss my Hell Charger, but I gotta give it to you, Howard, this one's growing on me as well."

"Wait, did _you_ build this car?" Tony asked his dad.

"Of course!"

Tony wasn't sure why he was so surprised. _Once an engineer, always an engineer… Even in Hell._

Soon, they stopped, and filed out of the car. Tony sent a signal via the beacon. Pepper would be so relieved; they had been gone for nearly five days now. But his dad had insisted they should wait until Ana was fully recovered.

"Is it done?" Reyes asked.

"Yeah. Now we'll wait. It shouldn't take long."

Unfortunately, it was taking longer than Tony had expected. Long enough for them to get surrounded by an army of fiery skeleton-demons.

"Please tell me they're your pals," he told Reyes.

"No. This is Frost's army."

Well, shit…

"We should run," the Ancient One, who had already conjured what looked like two magic shields, suggested.

"No, we've already sent a signal. The portal can appear any moment now."

"Frost is mine," his dad said.

"Ana, please be careful," Tony whispered, wishing she hadn't found herself in the middle of another fight so soon.

Ana gave him a reassuring look just before they donned their helmets and the fight started. "You, too."

When he saw Frost herself, the pain he felt was almost physical. He wished he could punch her to death with his bare hands. He wasn't stupid, though; he knew she couldn't be killed. At least not by him. Maybe Reyes could, but the Ghost Rider had taken over, and his priority seemed to be protecting the Darkhold. But his dad's skills with Zero Matter was quite impressive. He used it both to defend himself against Frost and kill her soldiers.

Thankfully, the flaming skeletons weren't too hard to kill. The most irritating thing about them was the screeching noises they made, especially as they died. Tony made a mental note to add a sound isolating system to the suits.

Ana was staying close to him this time. He didn't know if she was scared for him, or for herself.

"The portal!" The Ancient One shouted. Finally, it was open.

Tony landed next to his dad, who was still fighting Frost. "Dad, come on! You said it yourself, this bitch can't be killed."

"Tony, language!" he scolded him as they retreated towards the portal.

 _Language_. Seriously? No wonder he and Cap were such good friends.

"What about you?" Ana asked the Ancient One.

"I can handle myself. Go!"

Tony, his dad, Ana, and the Ghost Rider entered the portal together. Once again, Tony felt that uncomfortable sensation of being sucked into a vortex. And then, they were back in his underground workshop. Pepper, Rhodey, Happy, Bruce, Steve, Nat, Clint, Sam Wilson, even Maria Hill and Nick Fury were there, waiting for them. They were all staring at them in sheer shock.

Tony heard a shriek, and only then, realized one of Frost's soldiers had managed to cross the threshold with them. Reyes easily killed it, and Ana shut down the gateway. Tony expected Pepper to scream, but like everyone else, she was too appalled to make a sound.

Tony tapped on his Arc Reactor to deactivate the suit, and flashed a cheerful smile at her. "Hey, baby… Did you miss me?"

"T—Tony? Is that…" She was looking at Reyes, who still had a skull on fire instead of a head.

"Oh, this is my new friend, Robbie." He patted on his back to show that he trusted him, careful not to get himself burned. "He's pretty badass, right?"

The Ghost Rider only growled in response.

"Calm down, man. This is not helping," Tony whispered.

"A—and, this is…" She was now looking at his dad.

"Yeah, my dad, freshly back from the depths of Hell."

She blinked a few times, like she was trying to wrap her head around the situation. "Did you…"

"Bring him back from the dead? Oh, no. That wasn't us. The Lord of Hell resurrected him right after his death. He was trapped in the Hell dimension since then. We just got him out of there."

"And is the Lord of Hell okay with that?"

Well, Pepper always asked the most accurate questions. "Uhm, not really…" He turned to Ana for help.

"Yeah, we might have pissed off the Lord of Hell a bit," she said nonchalantly.

When she didn't respond, Tony went up to Pepper and cupped her face in his hands. "Honey? Say something."

Ana sighed. "Dad, I think we broke Pepper."

"Welcome back, Howard," Steve suddenly said, and hugged his old friend. Tony wanted to kiss him for helping them make the situation less awkward.

"You know, I always thought I'd be the one to say that to you… It's good to see you, Steve."

In the meantime, Reyes had returned to his human form. "Captain Rogers?"

"Mr. Reyes?"

They shook hands.

"Dad, maybe you should take Pepper to your apartment," Ana suggested.

"Right. Good idea. Are you…"

"Yeah, I got this."

He took Pepper by the arm, and left. Once they were in their living room, Pepper snapped out of her shock.

"Oh my God, that was so rude of me…"

"Rude? Honey, your boyfriend's father just came back from the dead. You're allowed to freak out." He helped her sit down.

"Tony, what have you done?"

"Come on, baby, he's not the weirdest person I've brought home…" He wasn't so sure, though. He had never brought home an undead person before.

Pepper cocked an eyebrow, then they both started laughing uncontrollably for several minutes. It wasn't because the situation was funny, no. Tony didn't know why they were laughing. Was it relief? Agitation? But once they calmed down, Tony was able to ask her what had been going on, and why everyone was in his not-so-secret-anymore workshop.

"You were gone for five days, Tony! Everyone was getting suspicious. And then Fury came, told them what was going on. And now I'm glad he did, because otherwise, this would be a lot more difficult to explain."

"Right."

"What exactly happened over there?"

"Are you sure you want to know?" he asked, wondering how he was supposed to tell her that Ana was almost going to die because of his recklessness.

She leaned forward and caressed his cheek. "You know I do."


	17. Chapter 17

"I don't envy you, Howard," Reyes said, tucking the Darkhold under his arm. Ana sighed. After everything she had done to find that book, she hadn't even touched it. But then, her mission was actually never about the book. It was about saving her grandfather.

"I did what needed to be done. Good luck finding your friends."

They shook hands. Robbie was going to LA first, to see his brother. Then, he would start looking for Coulson's team.

"And if you find anything about Coulson's people…" Ana started.

"I'll let you know, I promise."

"Yeah, but please don't tell them anything about me. They're not exactly my biggest fans."

"You care about them, though."

"When my dad became Iron Man, Coulson was the first SHIELD agent who approached us. He even saved my life. And Daisy… Under different circumstances, we could be good friends. It's kind of hard to explain."

"I see."

She could see that he was eager to leave, so, like her grandfather, she shook his hand, and wished him good luck. They watched him swirl his chain and open a portal to LA.

"I want to show you something," her grandpa said once they were alone, and took Ana to her lab. For now, he preferred to use her lab when he needed one. There, he handed her a sealed envelope.

"What's this?"

"Everything you need to know in order to build a Nexus."

"I thought you would—"

"I will. I will start working on the Nexus tomorrow. But should anything happen to me, I trust you with this knowledge."

"What can possibly happen to you?"

He chuckled bitterly. "I'm not indestructible, Ana. Now, I used to have a saying about peace. Has Tony ever told you what it was?"

"Peace means having a bigger stick than the other guy," she recited.

"I suppose I don't have to tell you how wrong I was. Still, it doesn't change the fact that this Nexus is the biggest stick there is."

"I understand."

He smiled. "Of course you do."

Ana studied him for a moment. He looked like he was having a constant headache since reading the Darkhold. It made her feel terribly guilty. They had saved him from Hell, only to drag him into another war.

"Nexus wasn't the only thing the book showed you, though, was it?"

"No," he simply replied.

"I'm sorry we did this to you."

"Don't blame yourself, my dear. We all have a part to play. You've done more than enough. Tony is proud of you. As am I."

"Is war really inevitable?"

After reading the book, he had come up with a plan. The Nexus had to be planted in the roots of Yggdrasil, the "tree" that connected the Nine Realms, so that the Infinity Stones couldn't be used in any of them. There was a tunnel that led to the roots of Yggdrasil in Wakanda. It was too narrow for a person, but that wasn't her main concern. They could build a drone or something to bury the Nexus. The real problem was, they had to wait until Thanos came to take the Tesseract, or the Mind Stone. It was the only way to trap him in one of the Nine Realms. But Ana didn't think he would come alone. Even if the stones were useless, there was going to be a war.

"If there's a safer way to stop Thanos, I'll find it. I promise. But don't worry about that now. You have other problems."

It was true. She had a rough conversation ahead of her. She couldn't keep lying to Shuri any longer. She was going to call her and tell her what she really had been doing. Still, it was going to take Ana days to muster up the courage.

…

In the past, Ana would think she didn't have friends because she was a stoic bitch. Now, she could see that she didn't have any friends because she didn't deserve to have them. In another reality, she had turned Daisy into a weapon of mass destruction. And in this reality, she had broken Shuri's heart with her lies. Shuri had made it clear that she would never forgive her.

She didn't know why Pepper had come into her room in the middle of the night—maybe JARVIS had told her that she was having a mental breakdown, or maybe she had simply heard the sobs—but when she entered, she had found Ana sitting in her bed, drinking Scotch from the bottle.

"You talked to Shuri, didn't you?"

Ana nodded.

"What happened?"

"Sorry, Pepper, but I don't really want to rehash that conversation right now."

Without a word, Pepper took the bottle from her hands, and put it away. Then, she grabbed a hairbrush and started brushing Ana's hair. "You look like a mess…"

"I know," Ana admitted.

"Do you have any plans for tomorrow?"

Well, her grandpa had started synthesizing the elements, but he could do that without Ana's help. It had taken him only a few hours to fully catch up with the 21st century. "Not really. Why?"

"I thought we could have a spa day. Or, go shopping. Soon, I'm going to need maternity clothes."

"Sounds great."

It was probably just an excuse to distract Ana, but it wasn't such a bad idea either. Whether she liked it or not, Ana Stark was a celebrity, and she had to maintain her looks. Otherwise, people would want to know what was wrong with her. A facial and mani-pedi wouldn't be so bad right now.

Pepper might not be a scientist or an engineer, but she was a genius in a different way. The truth was, Ana had learned so much from her. Especially about business. Pepper didn't sugarcoat anything while teaching her how to survive corporate politics, unlike her dad would. Also, there were other things her dad couldn't teach her. It was Pepper who had improved Ana's fashion taste, for example. She and Ana made a good team.

"Why didn't you tell me you were almost going to die over there?" Pepper suddenly asked.

"Because I'm a liar." Ana broke into sobs again. "Shuri is right. Lies come so easy to me. It's in my nature now, I can't help it."

"Hey, that's not what I meant. And Shuri might be upset right now, but she won't hate you forever."

Ana doubted it.

…

Ana had cried herself to sleep after Pepper had left, and woke up with a terrible headache in the morning. She went down to the common living area when she realized she had run out of coffee. She felt like her head was going to explode.

There was a teenage boy in the kitchen.

"Hi, I'm Peter," he said excitedly, and extended his hand.

Right. This had to be Peter Parker. Her aunt had found out about the suit, and she had demanded an _actual_ internship for him at Stark—and a letter of recommendation when he applied to college—in order not to sue them for child soldiering. But why was he here so early?

"Ana." She shook his hand. "Weren't you supposed to be at school?"

"It's Saturday. Mr. Stark said I could spend the weekends here, so…"

"That's right… Sorry." She went to pour herself some coffee, but she could feel the kid's nervous gaze on herself. "I heard you saved some of our stuff from getting stolen… Thanks for that." Happy had told them how that "flying vulture guy" had tried to steal the items that were being transported from the tower. He had even hacked into the security systems and used a decoy drone to deceive the ground control while they were in Hell. Her dad needed to take _all_ of his enemies more seriously.

"Oh, it was no big deal…"

After the first sip, she started feeling better. It could be just placebo effect, but who cared, right? She hated hangovers. The kid was still staring at her. She flung herself down on a couch, and stared back at him with an amused smile.

"So," he started at last. "Mr. Stark told me what you've been doing…"

"Did he?"

"Yeah, and it's so cool! I mean, you two are like John and Sarah Connor!"

Ana chuckled. She could see why her dad liked this kid so much.

"You're expert in quantum physics, right? Mr. Stark said you were."

"Why? Do you need help with homework?" Quantum physics were actually a bit too complicated for high schoolers, but then, she had been told that Midtown High was for smart kids.

"No. Not homework."

The look on his face told Ana that this was much more serious than homework. "Don't tell me it's time-travel…"

"No, not time-travel either. I understand how dangerous it can be."

"What is it, then?"

He made no reply.

"What is it, kid?" she asked, this time more softly. "I can't help you if don't tell me what you need."

"A portal," he said in a small voice. "I was going to ask you to open a portal."

"To where, exactly?"

"If there's a dimension called Hell, maybe there's another one called Heaven, right?"

"What?" Now she was genuinely confused.

Tears brimmed in Peter's eyes. "It's my uncle… He died because of me. I'm not trying to bring him back, I swear. I just want a chance to apologize to him. Ben Parker. Google his name if you don't believe me, and I—"

"Peter, stop…"

This was exactly why Ana had wanted to leave the kid out of this. Now he thought she could bring people back from the dead.

"I knew you wouldn't help me…"

"It's not what you think it is. I _can't_ help you. The Hell dimension isn't some kind of afterlife. And I don't think there's a Heaven dimension. That's not how it works."

"No?"

She sighed. How could she explain this to a 15-year-old, without creeping the shit out of him? "Look, my grandfather was there, because the creature that ruled Hell wanted to take advantage of his genius. It's not something you'd want for someone you care about, trust me."

He seemed to have understood, but suddenly, his eyes widened at something behind Ana. "Uhm, Ms. Stark?"

When she turned around, she saw a wide, sparking circle in the middle of the room. Another portal? Maybe Robbie was back. Still, she reached for the gun under the couch. Peter seemed ready for a fight as well, but Ana was determined to leave him out of this, whatever this was.

A guy with a ridiculous outfit and a goatee that would make even her dad jealous emerged from the portal.

"My name's Doctor Stephen Strange, I've been invited here by Howard Stark."

Stephen Strange… Right, the Ancient One had mentioned him. "JARVIS?" she asked for confirmation.

"It is true, miss. Last night, Mr. Howard Stark asked me to find Doctor Strange's number."

Ana lowered the gun.

"So, is he a good guy?" Peter whispered.

"I think so… JARVIS, tell my dad there's a… young Dumbledore in the kitchen."

"I prefer the term the Master of Mystic Arts," he corrected her.

Ana shrugged. "It's okay, I always wanted to be a wizard when I was a kid."

"Congratulations, you've become an excellent necromancer," he sneered, looking at her grandfather, who had just entered the room.

She opened her mouth to say something, but her grandpa gestured her to be quiet. "Doctor Strange, thank you for coming."

"Why did you call me here, Mr. Stark?"

"The Ancient One wanted me to." That was enough to remove the smug expression from the wizard's face.

"Uhm, Mr. Stark? I'm Peter Parker. It's an honor to meet you, sir." The kid extended his hand to him, as if the fact that Howard Stark had been dead for more than 20 years was no big deal.

Her grandpa seemed a bit puzzled, but took his hand nevertheless. Then he looked at Strange again. "Someone is planning to collect all the six Infinity Stones. As the keeper of the Time Stone, I thought you should be warned against the threat."

"Time Stone?" Ana asked, but no one bothered to give her an explanation. Her grandfather simply asked Strange if they could continue in private.

Her dad finally walked into the room, but he had been a bit late. "So, where's the young Dumbledore?"

Ana grimaced. "I changed my mind. He's more of an Umbridge." She decided to make herself an avocado toast while Peter told him what had just happened.

About half an hour later, Strange and her grandpa returned. Everyone had gathered in the common living area by then.

"I've looked into the alternate futures to see if Mr. Stark's plan is going to work," Strange started.

 _By using the Time Stone_ , Ana assumed, but kept the thought to herself.

"And?" everyone asked.

He turned to Ana. "Ms. Stark, you're going to need a team."

…

Since his return to the land of the living, Howard Stark hadn't left the Avengers Facility. He wasn't going to remain hidden forever, of course, but they had all agreed that the revelation should be on their terms, at least. There was going to be a press conference soon. But for some reason, he had insisted that they should visit the Pyms before this press conference. So, he and Ana were on their way to San Franciso right now.

"So, you have a flying suit, but you don't know how to fly a plane…"

"I don't have to. We have JARVIS as our pilot."

The name put an amused smile on his face, but Ana was pretty sure that her dad didn't share his amusement. He became quite embarrassed when people realized what a big sentimentalist he actually was. "You rely too much on JARVIS. Come, I'll teach you myself. But I want you to get an actual pilot's license as soon as possible, do you understand?"

"Yes, sir," she said, and followed him to the cockpit. It didn't escape her notice how Happy was frowning at them. Her dad had asked him to accompany them. He had wanted to go to San Francisco with them, actually, but Ana had begged him to stay with Pepper. She had already stolen too much time from those two. So, he had sent Happy instead.

Maybe it was just her grandpa's excuse to be alone with her, or maybe, he just wanted an activity to bond over. Ana had thought of cooking—the private jet had a nice kitchen, after all—but then decided that it would be a bit weird. After all, he didn't eat, or even sleep anymore. Her dad kept saying that he would buy him a castle in Romania for the next Father's Day, with coffins and everything. Though Ana wasn't sure if her grandpa would qualify as a vampire. Technically, a vampire would be a parasite, for he fed on other people's blood. Thankfully, Howard Stark didn't have to do such a thing. "Zombie" would probably be the most accurate term. Still, even she had to admit that he sometimes gave off Count Dracula vibes.

She already knew how planes worked, so he didn't have to do much explaining. It didn't take her long to realize he had actually missed flying. She knew he used to be considered one of the best civilian pilots back in the day.

"Have more confidence in yourself," he said when he realized how reluctant she was. "Soon, you're going to lead your own team."

"Yeah, about that…"

"What about that?"

"I know you trust Strange, but I'm not so sure about this. I don't think I can lead a team. I just don't play well with others."

"Something you took after from Tony, I believe."

"Exactly."

"And look at him now…"

"He doesn't really lead the Avengers, though. Cap does."

"If it's going to help, Steve thinks you can do this."

"Really?" She didn't know Steve and her grandfather had discussed her leadership skills.

"Why not? You certainly have the training. And a good moral compass. All you need is to have more faith in other people."

"Will they have any faith in me, though?"

"That's up to you, Ana."

Although they weren't on speaking terms anymore, Shuri would agree to do whatever it took to stop Thanos. Robbie could convince Daisy. According to Strange, Odin had sent Sigyn and her sister to find the Soul Stone, but they weren't going to be able to retrieve it. They were going to return to Earth with Carol Danvers, though. Fury said he and Sigyn had had a dispute over Danvers back in the '90s, and that was the real reason why Sigyn was so distrustful of him.

But the real challenge would be convincing Hope van Dyne. Or, her father.

"So, this Hank Pym… What do you think he's going to do when he sees us?"

"Whatever he does, you're going to let _me_ handle him, alright? He has quite a temper, but I know him well."

"What about his daughter? Isn't she the one we actually need to convince?"

"Would you work with someone Tony didn't trust?"

He had made a good point. "No."

"See? That's why we need Hank."

There was something else that had been bothering her, though. "When it's time, are you going to come to Wakanda with us?"

"Why? Do you not want me to come?"

"No, it's not that. It's just… Sergeant Barnes is in Wakanda."

A dark expression crossed his face. "I don't blame him for what he did, Ana. I know HYDRA was controlling him. Still, his face was the last thing I saw before I woke up in Hell."

Ana didn't know what exactly he had been through in Hell. No one was brave enough to ask. "I'm sorry…"

"Do you know how Maria died?" he suddenly asked.

"According to the mission report, Barnes strangled her. Dad said her neck was broken," Ana replied, not knowing what else to say.

He nodded gravely. "I should've been able to protect her…"

"What could you have done, against a super soldier with a metal arm?"

"Nothing. But she shouldn't have been in that car with me. I should've left Maria out of my SHIELD business."

"You mean, you should've lied to her."

"Yes."

"And then what? You would've died anyway, and she'd remember you as a cold, distant, calculating man who…" She paused when she realized she was parroting her dad's words.

"It's alright. I'm well aware of the price I had to pay to keep Tony safe."

Ana sighed. She didn't want to pity him. He was a great man; he didn't deserve to be pitied. But he had been through too much. He had lost too much. He blamed himself for his wife's death. Most of his friends were dead, or turned out to be traitors. Cap had welcomed him with open arms, but their relationship was never going to be the same because of Barnes. He didn't know how Sigyn would react when she saw him. Necromancy was a taboo among sorcerers. He had been given a second chance with his son, but at a terrible cost. And it was going to get even worse once they announced his return to the public.

…

He put on the holographic mask before getting off the jet. Ana had given him a random man's face. She hadn't worked much on that tech after what had happened with Killian, but it was realistic enough, unless someone touched the hologram. "How do I look?"

"Less handsome than your original self," she replied, smoothing his Armani suit, glad that he had finally got rid of those Grim Reaper robes.

He chuckled, and offered her his arm as they descended the airstairs. It was actually funny to see what a gentleman he was. At least to her. There was a Rolls Royce waiting for them on the tarmac. Happy opened the back door for them, then took his place in the driver's seat. Her grandpa had already given him the address.

On their way to Dr. Pym's house, Happy was stealing occasional suspicious glances via the rearview mirror.

"It's okay, Happy," she said at last. "I know you're just doing your job, but you can tell Dad that we're not trying to take over the galaxy or anything."

"My job? I'm the Head of Security, young lady, _this_ is not in my job description! I'm doing you a favor!"

Her grandpa gave her a _"Is he always like this?"_ look. Ana shrugged. She had known Happy since she was four.

"I know, and I'm grateful." She leaned forward and pinched his chubby cheeks. He was still pouting, but Ana would find a way to cheer him up later.

She didn't know why, but she had expected Dr. Pym's house to be more… futuristic. It was still an expensive place, no doubt, but it gave her the impression that they were going to have to deal with an old-fashioned guy. In every way.

It was Hope van Dyne who answered the door. She frowned when she saw Ana.

"I suppose you know who I am?"

She nodded. "Ana Stark."

"And you're Hope van Dyne."

"Hope?" a man called from inside the house. "Who is it?"

"Uhm, Dad… You might want to see this."

A few seconds later, Dr. Pym himself joined his daughter. He didn't seem very happy either. "It's been a while since the last time a Stark knocked on my door. The first time didn't end well."

 _This time it's two Starks, actually_ , she thought, but didn't bother to correct him. He would find out soon enough.

"I'm well aware of that, Dr. Pym. But I'm here to talk to your daughter."

"About what?" Van Dyne asked.

"About saving half of the universe from getting killed."

She studied Ana's face for a moment, probably to see if she was serious.

"Hank? Hope? Darling, where are your manners? Invite our guests in!" a woman interrupted them.

Ana looked at the woman. "I'm sorry, you are…"

"Janet van Dyne, Hope's mother. Please, come inside."

Ana entered, with Happy and her grandpa trailing behind her. Janet van Dyne? Was that possible? She had done her homework before coming here. "Janet van Dyne? I thought you were—"

"Dead?" she chuckled as she led them into a parlor. "That was what most people thought. But the truth was, I was trapped in the Quantum Realm. Until last week."

"The Quantum Realm?"

"It's… another dimension."

Ana remained quiet. It was actually good to know that her grandpa wasn't the only one who had been trapped in a different dimension for multiple decades. Maybe they would start a support group, like Zombies Anonymous…

"You don't seem shocked," Ms. Van Dyne observed. "Are you aware of the existence of other dimensions?"

"As a matter of fact, I am."

"Good." She gestured them to sit down, but a little girl on the back of a giant ant suddenly barged into the room. And another man chasing after her.

"DADDY!" the girl cried in joy.

Happy was so scared that he had dropped the case in his hand. Her grandpa gave him a death glare.

The girl's father froze when she saw her. "Wait, is that…"

"The Stark girl, yes," Pym grumbled. Now the other man, too, was looking at her like she was the biggest jerk in the world.

"I hope they didn't scare you," Ms. Van Dyne said apologetically.

Before she could reply, her grandpa stepped forward. "No. After all, we all have our… eccentricities. Right, Janet?"

He still had the mask on, but Van Dyne must have realized there was something familiar about him. Ana didn't say anything. This was when her grandfather would take over. He took off the glasses.

"What the fu—" Pym started, but when his daughter cleared his throat loudly, remembered that there was a kid in the room. "How?"

"That's so cool!" the little girl cried when she saw how Howard Stark's face had changed.

"No, Peanut, these people are _not_ cool," her father said. "Now take Ulysses S. Gr-ant, and go play outside."

"But Daddy…"

"Come on." He took her and the ant to the garden, and returned to the room after making sure they would stay there.

"Janet never died," Pym said. "Can you say the same?" He must have realized that Howard Stark hadn't aged a day. Well, he was still in his 70s, but his body's age seemed irrelevant now.

"No. But what's done is done. And I'm not interested in your formula anymore."

"I find that hard to believe."

"Tell me, Hank, after my death, how many people tried to steal the Pym Particle?"

"A lot of people. They all failed."

"And how many of them were related to me?"

"None," he had to admit. Of course, like many other scientists, Ana and her dad had heard of the Pym Particle. But since its creator wasn't interested in sharing it with the rest of the world, they had left it be. They weren't thieves.

"What do you want from my daughter, Stark?"

"We're putting a team together. We need her. Ana wasn't lying; the universe is at stake."

"Hank, I think we should hear them out," his wife said softly.

"Fine," he gave in.

So, her grandfather told them everything. Well, not everything. He left out the personal details. But he didn't lie either. It seemed to Ana like Dr. Pym's frown was deepening with every word that came out of his mouth.

"So," Pym said once he was finished. "You're forming an all-female superhero team, because a _wizard_ told you to do so? What the hell happened to you, Howard? I never liked you, but you used to be a respectable scientist, at least."

"Do not underestimate Doctor Strange. He's a formidable ally."

"And he's not trying to form a particularly all-female superhero team. That part kind of just happened. According to Doctor Strange, it's the only team that will accomplish the mission," Ana added.

"I want in," Hope van Dyne suddenly said.

"What?"

"If you don't want me to be a superhero, why did you give me that suit, Dad?"

"I want you to be a superhero. I just don't want you to work with a Stark!"

"It's not exactly _work_ ," Ana said. "We're not going to be like the Avengers. We literally have one job. To put the Nexus into the roots of Yggdrasil when Thanos comes here."

Pym snorted. "The Nexus, huh?"

Happy dutifully opened the case and showed them the Nexus prototype. It looked like the Arc Reactor, but with all the six elements combined, it glowed white, instead of blue.

"What makes you think it's going to work?"

"It _is_ going to work," her grandpa insisted.

"Dad, this is my choice," Van Dyne insisted.

"Alright. But if the Starks double-cross you, don't count on my help… Howard, a word in private?"

Her grandpa nodded. Yeah, rich old men loved their conversations in private.

"So, a Stark family reunion in Hell," the other man said after they left, putting an arm around Hope van Dyne's shoulders. "Sounds fitting… Why didn't you just stay there?"

Ana glared at him. "I'm sorry, who are you?"

"Scott Lang. Ant-Man."

"Can I punch your boyfriend?" she asked Hope van Dyne.

"No."

"Okay."

"This is not fair," Lang told his girlfriend. "I was invited to join the Avengers, did you know that? By Captain America himself! And I didn't accept, because Hank told me to stay away from them! Now you're going to join this new team? I kind of feel betrayed here!"

"Okay. Go become an Avenger. No one's stopping you now." She shrugged, and turned to Ana. "If we're going to do this, maybe we should practice together. Learn to fight as a team."

"Good point. But that's not possible. Some of the recruits aren't even in this galaxy."

"Who else will be on the team?"

"Three Asgardians. A Wakandan princess. An Inhuman. And a captain."

"You girls are going to need a team name," Janet van Dyne said.

Ana shrugged. "I told you, it's a one-time thing. We don't really need a name."

She chuckled. "Yeah, that's how it always starts."

"Do you have a name in mind?"

"You're all related to the Avengers, in one way or the other. I don't think that's a coincidence. So, how about… A-Force?"

Ana thought for a moment. "A-Force" actually sounded pretty cool.

Ana Stark and Hope van Dyne exchanged looks. "Why not?"

…

Morgan Anthony Potts-Stark was unarguably the best thing that had happened to this family in years. Still, someone had to ruin the day of his birth for Ana. Of course. And that someone was Pepper's mom.

It was just Ana, Mrs. Potts, Happy, and Rhodey in the waiting room. The rest of the Avengers were going to have to wait until Morgan came to the compound with his parents. If everyone gathered here, the paparazzi would find out which hospital Tony Stark and Pepper Potts had chosen for the birth of their son.

As for Grandpa Stark, he had decided to avoid Pepper's mom. He would come to see Morgan after she left. He didn't want to make the situation even more awkward than it already was.

Mrs. Potts had never fully approved of her daughter's relationship with an infamous playboy, but she used to like Ana well enough. But a lot had changed after that press conference three months ago. The reaction had been curiosity, awe, and an expected amount of backlash. Now Pepper's mom was looking at Ana like she was the devil incarnate. Ana asked Rhodey and Happy if they wanted some coffee, they said no, and she left, saying she would grab herself one. It was just an excuse, of course, she knew Mrs. Potts would be coming after her. Indeed, soon she could hear the footsteps behind her. She made sure she was well away from the waiting room, then paused abruptly and turned around.

"Can I help you with something, Mrs. Potts?"

"You know, there was a time I thought you were a decent person. A bit shy and weird, yes, but decent. I was wrong. You're your father's daughter."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

She snorted. "You Starks consider yourselves above everyone else."

"Mrs. Potts, my grandfather was simply a vict—"

"This has nothing to do with your grandfather!"

Oh. So, this was about the other thing. The return of Howard Stark wasn't the only announcement they had made at that press conference. Ana knew how busy Pepper was because of her job as the CEO of Stark Industries. And that she had never asked for this responsibility in the first place. She had told Pepper that she would understand if she didn't want to throw her career away just because she had a baby. But she let her know that if Pepper wanted to focus on her family, Ana was ready to take over. Stark Industries had always meant to be her burden anyway. Pepper had just done her a great favor by stepping in when she was still too young. But she had also been preparing Ana since then. Now it was her turn to do Pepper a favor. Pepper then had admitted that she was scared of being an absent mother. So, Ana had become the new CEO. It could have been her grandfather, but he had said that he couldn't be the face of the company anymore. It wouldn't be good for business. Yet he was willing to help Ana in any other way possible.

"Do you have any idea how much humiliation Virginia had to endure?"

 _Of course I do_ , she thought. _I was there with her_.

"Now you've taken away the one thing that earned her some respect."

"I didn't take away anything. This was what she wanted."

"Yes, this is what you keep telling everyone. But I see through you, Ana. You're an opportunist. I just want you to know that I'm not going to let some whore's daughter ruin—" She paused, and her eyes widened in fear. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Ana looked at her hands. They were glowing. Extremis.

"It's the same stuff Aldrich Killian gave Virginia, isn't it? You'll stay away from my grandson, do you understand? Freak…"

 _I'm trying to save the universe, you ungrateful_ _bitch_ , Ana thought as Mrs. Potts stormed off, but didn't say anything. This woman was Pepper's mom. So, she focused on calming herself down instead.

Rhodey emerged from a room after Mrs. Potts turned around the corner. He must have followed them.

"Sweetie…" He attempted to hug her, but Ana didn't let him.

"I don't want to hurt you."

"Alright, just take a deep breath. Or, whatever you have to do to calm down."

"I'll be fine. Don't tell Dad." There was no reason to ruin his day, too.

"Both Tony and Pepper are grateful for what you did for them. You know that, right?"

"I do."

"Come on, let's go back to the waiting room."

She shook her head. "I just need to be alone for a while."

"What am I supposed to tell Tony when he comes out with Morgan in his arms?"

"Tell him that I have a headache or something."

She spun around on her heels and walked away. Her feet took Ana to her car in the parking lot. The DeLorean was the latest addition to the Starks' car collection. Her dad had thought it would be a good joke. _"Just try not to turn it into an actual time machine,"_ he had told Ana.

She normally kept a bottle of Scotch in the car, for cases like this, but now it was gone. Her dad must have taken it away. He had also put away all the alcoholic beverages at the compound in one room, saying her drinking problem was getting serious. JARVIS wouldn't give her access to that storage room. Right now, she could leave the hospital and buy the first bar she saw, of course, but she didn't really want to disappoint her dad. So, she sat in the driver's seat, and tried not to think of her mother.

Deep down, witnessing Pepper's pregnancy had made Ana glad that she had no interest in motherhood. It was insane. For Pepper, it had been a precious experience, but Ana didn't know how a woman could willingly go that much trouble for a child she didn't really love and want.

Irene Clarke had, though. Just to get revenge from a man she had slept with. Ana wouldn't call her a whore, no. More like a lovesick fool with a broken heart. She had let a bunch of chemical reactions cloud her judgment. It was what love was. A chemical reaction. Instincts telling her that reproduction was the closest thing to immortality, and therefore she needed to find a mate. Nothing more.

When she felt anger build up inside her, she reminded her that it was just a chemical reaction as well. As was every other emotion. Even the love she felt for her dad and Pepper. Or Morgan. Sometimes she wished she was a machine, free from this chemical burden. A cold, hard, empty shell of logic and reason…

She wasn't sure how much time had passed, but the sky was graying up when her dad eventually came to see her. Morgan must have been born, then.

"Hey kid," he said cheerfully, settling down on the passenger seat.

"Hey, Dad. Did you put a tracker on me again?"

"I don't always need a tracker to know where you are."

Neither of them spoke for a while. Ana was going to ask him how Pepper and the baby were doing, but then changed her mind. He wouldn't look so happy unless both of them were perfectly fine.

"Rhodey told me what happened."

"I'd told him not to."

"He was worried about you."

"What did you do to Mrs. Potts?"

"Nothing. I didn't want to make a scene in front of Pepper."

"Wow. You're actually growing up, Dad."

"Still, I don't like it when people hurt you. I wish they knew what you really did for them."

"At what cost, though? If it weren't for me and my obsession with time-travel, you—"

"I'd still be having nightmares about some nameless alien threat, and my dad would be hiding from a demonic overlord in a cave. I really don't know what makes you think that, but you didn't ruin my life, kid. On the contrary, you saved me. You really live up to your superhero name."

Ana snorted. "Yeah. _Rescue_ …"

During the press conference, Ana had told the reporters that they hadn't brought her grandfather back from the dead, but rather had discovered during a scientific experiment that he had been trapped in another dimension, and rescued him from there. Afterward, some reporter had written a story about how the legendary Howard Stark had been "Rescued," probably thinking that it was a clever pun. Now this was how everyone called her. Rescue. The irony was that it was actually Howard Stark who had saved her ass.

"Why? You don't like it?"

"I was hoping for a cooler superhero name," she joked. "But I guess I should be grateful. At least it's not 'Necromancer' or anything."

For a few moments, they both remained silent again. Then, she suddenly asked, "Have you ever wanted to become a robot?"

"No," he said, without even thinking. "If I were a robot, I wouldn't have you, or Morgan."

Wow. He hadn't even hesitated before replying. "I guess I'm not as selfless as you are."

"You're just hurt."

She noticed that he had been rubbing his right hand. "What happened to your hand?"

"I think Pepper crushed it."

She chuckled. She had heard stories about how women almost crushed their partners' hand while giving birth. "How bad was it?"

"I'm not going to lie, kid. It scared the shit out of me."

"Are they okay?"

"Come and see for yourself."

"Dad, Mrs. Potts—"

"She's gone. My dad's here. Come and meet your baby brother."

Ana looked at him. He was happy. He wasn't lying about it. That was all Ana wanted for him. He deserved happiness.

They got out of the car, and went to Pepper's room. Ana opened the door slowly, and found Pepper in the bed, with Morgan in her arms. There was crib beside the bed, and her grandpa was standing in the corner. Rhodey was sitting in a chair.

"Pepper?" she whispered.

"It's okay, he's awake."

Ana had thought she was prepared for this moment, but now she knew that she had been wrong. Logic kept telling her that Morgan was just like any other baby who had ever been born, but that wasn't enough to convince her that he wasn't the most beautiful thing Ana had ever seen.

Her dad took him into his arms. "Hey, buddy… Look who's here."

But Ana hesitated when he asked her to hold Morgan. "I don't know, Dad. He's so small. What if I hurt him?" She had never held a baby before, and even without Extremis, she wasn't sure she could do it without accidentally hurting him.

"Well, I'm a bit out of practice myself, but it's not that hard. Come on."

For some reason, he really wanted her to do this, so very, very carefully, she took the baby from him. It indeed wasn't that hard, and she wasn't glowing. As long as she didn't panic, they would be fine.

"Hey, Morgs."

Morgan only yawned in response. His eyes were brown, like his father and sister, and there was a wisp of dark hair on the top of his tiny head, but Ana could swear that he had Pepper's nose and lips. He smelled amazing. As she looked at him, she wondered what their relationship would be like. She knew her dad had been a lonely kid. She, too, had been lonely. Perhaps why he was so glad that Ana finally had a sibling. And she had always envied the bond between Shuri and T'Challa. Still, they had grown up together. The relationship between Morgan and Ana would be a different one. She felt a sudden urge to take a picture of Morgan and send it to Shuri, saying that she, too, was now a sister, but then remembered that they still weren't on speaking terms. She had no one to send pictures to.

She wasn't the only lonely soul in the room, though. It didn't escape her notice how her grandpa was keeping his distance, like he was a plague. Ana decided to prove him wrong.

"Shall we go say hi to Grandpa?" she asked, went to him, and lifted Morgan up a bit for him to see. "Hi, Grandpa…"

He smiled, and reluctantly extended his hand to stroke Morgan's cheek. But the moment he touched Morgan, he started to cry his lungs out.

 _Shit…_

Not knowing what else to do, she gave Morgan back to Pepper, and shot her an apologetic look. Pepper didn't seem angry, though. Probably even she hadn't expected this.

With some effort, Pepper soothed Morgan, then put him in his crib. Ana, her grandfather, and Rhodey left the room afterward, to give them some privacy.

"I'm going back to the compound," Rhodey announced. "Are you guys coming?"

They both nodded. As they walked down the corridor, Ana felt terrible for her grandpa. Maybe it was just a coincidence, she kept telling herself, but deep down, she knew that wasn't the case. The truth was, he couldn't even touch his grandson without making him go off like an air-raid siren. But then, maybe it was a good sign. Sometimes you had to fight fire with fire. To destroy a monster, you had to become one.

 _Did you really think it would be easy, Ana?_

She had wanted the power to stop one of the most dangerous creatures in the universe, and now, she had it. Of course there was going to be a price to pay.

But the look on Thanos' face when he realized he was doomed would absolutely be worth it.

* * *

 **A/N: Well, this is where Part 1 ends. I always wanted to write a story about how A-Force could be brought to MCU. Sorry, this story turned out to be longer than I expected it to be, but there were so many characters to introduce and events to cover. I expect the sequels to be shorter. I'm working on Part Two (which will be Shuri's story) now. And a few one-shots, but I don't know if I'll ever post them.**

 **As for Ana's superhero identity as Rescue… I thought a lot about adding Pepper to the team as Rescue. I wouldn't normally give a canon character's mantle to an OC. They gave us some hope in IM3, maybe, but I think her lack of interest in becoming a superhero has been made very obvious at this point. So, I guess it's safe to give the title to an OC. Besides, I really like how Ana "earned" the name.**

 **In case it's not clear, the members of A-Force in this story will be Rescue, Wasp, Shuri, Quake, Captain Marvel, Valkyrie, Sif, and Sigyn, with Janet van Dyne as a mentor. I have my own background story planned for Captain Marvel, of course, but it will be revealed in Part 3. So, I don't know how canon-compliant it's going to be.**

 **Thank you everyone who has followed, favorited, and reviewed. I'd hate the idea of wasting people's time with my writing, so I hope you enjoyed it! If you did, please consider leaving a review, or adding this story to your follows/favorites.**


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